Subscriber adoption of the 5G mobile connections reached 429 million in the second quarter of 2021, according to data from Omdia, said 5G Americas.

The world added 124 million 5G connections between Q1 and Q2 of 2021, increasing 41 percent from 305 million to 429 million. 5G connections are forecast to reach 692 million globally by the end of the calendar year.

Ten 5G commercial networks went live in Q2 2021. The number of 5G networks reached 182 networks, according to data from TeleGeography. The number of 5G networks is expected to reach 220 by the end of 2021 and 323 by the end of 2023.

Omdia report estimates that the number of global 5G connections will be reaching 4.7 billion in 2026. Of that, 512 million is expected to come from North America and 277 million in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Omdia principal analyst Kristin Paulin said: “There are several factors that are driving 5G uptake in North America, including growing 5G coverage, no 5G service plan differentiation, 5G device promotions, and the beginning of bundled-in 5G-rich content.”

North America had a total of 44.6 million 5G connections by the end of Q2 2021, which is an addition of 17.9 million 5G connections and 67 percent quarter over quarter growth. Additionally, it had 501 million LTE connections by the end of Q2 2021, which marks a 0.66 percent quarterly decline in LTE.