The number of mobile subscriptions worldwide increased by 52-million during the second quarter of this year to reach 8.3- billion, with Africa accounting for 1.2-billion, the latest Ericsson Mobility Report shows.
Africa’s mobile subscription penetration reached 86% as the continent added seven-million subscribers during the quarter.
According to the second-quarter Mobility Report, China accounted for ten-million subscription additions, bringing the country’s total to nearly 1.7-billion, while India, Nepal and Bhutan added seven-million to reach 1.1-billion and Asia-Pacific, excluding China and India, added 17-million, bringing the region’s total to 1.69-billion.
North America now has 400-million mobile subscriptions after adding two-million subscribers.
Latin America’s subscriptions increased by four-million to 705-million, while Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe each reported two-million additions, bringing subscriptions to 545-million and 570-million respectively.
In the Middle East, an addition of one-million brought subscriptions to 420-million.
During the second quarter of 2022, global mobile subscription penetration was 106% and the number of unique mobile subscribers stood at 6.1-billion, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report.
Mobile broadband subscriptions globally, now accounting for 86% of all mobile subscriptions, increased 6%, or by 100-million, in the quarter to reach 7.2-billion.
Fifth-generation (5G) mobile subscriptions grew by 70-million during the quarter, lifting the total to 690-million, as 218 communications service providers launched commercial 5G services and 24 launched 5G standalone networks.