The State of 5G 2026
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The State of 5G 2026
This report analyses the state of 5G, seven years after its commercial launch, using GSMA Intelligence’s 5G Connectivity Index to benchmark 46 markets across 5G infrastructure and services. It shows broad convergence across the foundation components (coverage, affordability, adoption), but reveals a widening gap on advanced capabilities, including 5G standalone (SA), 5G‑Advanced, uplink performance, fixed wireless access (FWA), IoT and RedCap. The report explores which regions are leading (the GCC states, Nordic countries, developed Asia Pacific, China and the US) and what’s driving this (SA deployment, dense sites, strong quality of experience). It also examines the practical priorities to unlock 5G's next wave: accelerating 5G SA, preparing for 5G‑Advanced and translating capability into revenue via enterprise digitalisation, speed‑based tariffs and 5G FWA.
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The State of 5G 2026
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are digitising rapidly, but telcos seize only a fraction of the opportunity due to gaps between SME expectations and current offerings. To unlock growth, telcos must simplify integration, make reliability visible, and shift from offering security tools to managed protection, delivering integrated, outcome-oriented solutions.
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