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Opensignal's 5G Global Awards 2025 highlight a fast-evolving mobile landscape: 2.5 billion 5G connections were recorded by mid-2025, and real-world tests show that coverage and reliability are now as important as headline speeds. The awards draw on billions of measurements collected during the first half of 2025 to identify operators excelling across multiple user-experience metrics.
How the 2025 awards were measured
Opensignal evaluated national mobile networks using data gathered from devices between January 1 and June 28, 2025. The analysis focused on six real-world metrics: Download Speed, Video Experience, Games Experience, Voice App Experience, Reliability, and Coverage Experience. These categories aim to capture what users actually feel when streaming, gaming, calling via apps, or simply relying on a network throughout the day.
Leaders in speed, coverage and user experience
Speed champions vary by market size. In larger land-area markets, Brazil’s Vivo topped download speeds at an average 362.1 Mbps, with Claro and TIM also delivering world-class performance. In smaller markets, South Korea’s KT posted the fastest speeds at 470.7 Mbps, outpacing SK Telecom and LG U+. Other high-speed performers included operators in Qatar, Guatemala, and Singapore.
Rapid year-on-year gains were often tied to increased spectrum. Poland’s T-Mobile, Orange and Play were named 5G Global Rising Stars, with T-Mobile adding 140.7 Mbps year-on-year. In the Netherlands, Odido led small-market growth with a 151.1 Mbps improvement.
Coverage leaders reflect different network strategies: T-Mobile in the U.S. scored 8.1/10 for 5G coverage among large-area markets, while Singapore’s Singtel led smaller markets at 9.1/10, ahead of M1, SIMBA and StarHub — a sign of Singapore’s dense, well-optimized 5G footprint.
Specialty experiences: gaming, video and voice apps
Gaming experience rankings favored Japan’s au with a score of 91.9 in large markets; SoftBank and several German operators also performed strongly. In smaller markets, Singtel topped gaming at 92.9 and was joined by leading Korean and Swiss operators.
Video experience awards were dominated by European and select international operators: DIGI Romania, DNA Finland, Telenor and Tele2 Sweden, Rogers Canada and au Japan earned top honors in large markets. In smaller markets, M1 and StarHub (Singapore), A1 North Macedonia, HT Croatia, Salt Switzerland and Telekom Slovenije stood out.
For voice app experience — important as users increasingly call through VoIP services — au led large markets with a score of 85.2. Strong showings also came from SoftBank, NTT Docomo and DIGI Romania, while smaller-market winners included One and Yettel in Hungary and Vodafone Czechia.
Reliability and why it matters
Reliability is emerging as a defining metric for 5G quality. au Japan topped the reliability chart in large markets with 976.1 points (on a 100–1000 scale), while A1 Slovenia (970.6) and Vodafone Czechia (977) were among the best in smaller markets. High reliability scores indicate consistent latencies and fewer dropped sessions — crucial for real-time apps, cloud gaming and critical enterprise services.
5G adoption trends and the rise of Standalone (SA) networks
Opensignal reports 2.5 billion 5G connections mid-2025, about 28% of all mobile connections, with a projection to reach 5.7 billion (57%) by 2030. Adoption rates are highest in the U.S. (62%) and South Korea (61%), with Denmark and Norway close behind at 59%. Latin America is accelerating: Brazil sits around 21% and Chile 29%.
5G Standalone (SA) deployments are expanding: 77 operators across 43 markets now offer SA to some degree. SA unlocks lower latency, higher reliability, faster uplink and download speeds, and network slicing—features that matter for enterprise use cases in manufacturing, transport, remote healthcare and media production. For consumers, SA translates to snappier apps, smoother cloud gaming and better video-call quality.
Conclusion
The 2025 Opensignal awards show that 5G success is shifting from raw headline speeds to balanced performance: strong coverage, consistent reliability and excellent real-world experiences for video, gaming and voice apps. Operators such as T-Mobile (USA), Singtel (Singapore) and au (Japan) illustrate this balanced approach. As more carriers deploy 5G Standalone networks, both consumer experiences and enterprise applications are set to accelerate worldwide.
Source: fonearena
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