Indian telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea did not find a place in 5G Global Awards 2025 announced by Opensignal.
Opensignal’s report highlights Brazil’s Vivo and South Korea’s KT as global leaders in 5G download speeds. Vivo emerged as the sole winner in large land-area markets, delivering average speeds of 362.1Mbps, while Claro and TIM also ranked highly, reinforcing Brazil’s strong 5G performance. In small land-area markets, KT achieved 470.7Mbps, surpassing SK Telecom and LG U+ to secure the top spot. Operators in Qatar, Guatemala, and Singapore also made it to the list of 5G Global Leaders, reflecting widespread progress in next-generation connectivity worldwide.
Opensignal’s research identifies Poland and the Netherlands as standout markets for 5G speed growth driven by improved spectrum availability. In Poland, T-Mobile, Orange, and Play all earned 5G Global Rising Star recognition, with T-Mobile recording a 140.7Mbps year-on-year speed boost. The Netherlands saw the most significant jump, with Odido leading small land-area markets through a 151.1Mbps increase in average 5G download speeds.
Opensignal’s report highlights T-Mobile USA and Singtel as global leaders in 5G Coverage. T-Mobile secured the top spot in large land-area markets with a score of 8.1, offering the most extensive 5G coverage in the U.S. In small land-area markets, Singtel led with a score of 9.1, followed closely by M1, SIMBA, and StarHub, underscoring Singapore’s position as one of the most comprehensively covered 5G markets worldwide.
Opensignal’s latest findings place Japan’s au and Singapore’s Singtel at the forefront of 5G Games Experience. Au leads large land-area markets with a score of 91.9 out of 100, supported by strong performances from SoftBank and all German operators. In small land-area markets, Singtel tops the rankings with 92.9, while South Korea’s KT, SK Telecom, and LG U+, along with operators from Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hong Kong, also secure Global Leader status.
Opensignal’s report on 5G Video Experience highlights a diverse set of global winners. In large land-area markets, DIGI in Romania, DNA in Finland, and Sweden’s Telenor and Tele2 lead the rankings, joined by Rogers in Canada and au in Japan. For small land-area markets, Singapore’s M1 and StarHub, A1 North Macedonia, Croatia’s HT, Salt Switzerland, and Telekom Slovenije take top honors. The findings underscore Europe’s strong presence among 5G Global Leaders, reflecting the region’s ability to deliver high-quality mobile video experiences.
Opensignal’s 5G Reliability report highlights au Japan, A1 Slovenia, and Vodafone Czechia as top performers. Au leads large land-area markets with 976.1 points, reflecting the strength of its 5G Standalone network, while operators from Japan, Canada, Romania, Germany, the U.S., Poland, and Finland also earned Global Leader recognition. In small land-area markets, A1 Slovenia (970.6) and Vodafone Czechia (977) share the top spot, alongside strong performances from T-Mobile Czechia, Telemach Slovenia, and operators in Slovakia, Austria, Denmark, South Korea, Hungary, Bulgaria, Uruguay, and Albania.
By mid-2025, GSMA Intelligence reported 2.5 billion 5G connections globally, representing 28 percent of all mobile connections, with forecasts projecting growth to 5.7 billion (57 percent) by 2030. Adoption varies widely, with Denmark and Norway leading Europe at 59 percent, Latin America accelerating through Brazil (21 percent) and Chile (29 percent), and South Korea and the U.S.—early 5G adopters since 2019—at 61 percent and 62 percent, respectively.
While most networks still rely on Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G anchored to 4G, deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) is advancing, offering ultra-low latency, network slicing, and high reliability. By mid-2025, 77 operators across 43 markets had launched SA to some extent. Early evidence, including Opensignal research in Japan, shows SA delivers faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity, highlighting its potential for both consumer and enterprise applications.
Reliability has emerged as a critical factor in user satisfaction, ranking second only to cost, ahead of speeds. This trend is reflected in 5G awards recognizing telecom operators like T-Mobile (U.S.) and Singtel Singapore for their reliability.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
