Kenyan users on 5G connections consume significantly more mobile data than those using standard mobile broadband, according to the Internet Society Kenya H1 2026 Technical Report.
The report shows that users on 5G subscriptions average 53.5 GB of data per month, compared with 15.1 GB among users on standard mobile broadband connections.
This difference means that 5G users consume more than 3.5 times as much data each month as standard mobile broadband users.
“Mobile broadband consumption reached 800 million gigabytes, up 6.0%, averaging 15.1 GB per standard subscription and 53.5 GB for 5G users,” the report read.
5G Drives Higher Data Consumption
The figures are contained in Part B, Section B3, “Mobile Broadband and 5G,” specifically Figure 4, which compares mobile data consumption between standard mobile broadband and 5G subscriptions.
The report’s figures also indicate that the higher speeds and capacity of 5G connections are accompanied by substantially higher monthly data consumption among subscribers.
While the average 5G user consumes 53.5 GB every month, the figure for standard mobile broadband users is 15.1 GB.
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The gap between the two categories is 38.4 GB per month, meaning a typical 5G user consumes more than three times the volume of a standard mobile broadband user.
At the national level, mobile broadband consumption reached approximately 800 million GB between January and March 2026, highlighting the scale of mobile data use in Kenya.
Approximately 800 million GB of data was consumed nationally during the first quarter of 2026, covering mobile broadband usage across the country rather than 5G users alone.
5G Device Access Remains Limited
Only 32 percent of Kenyans have access to a 5G-capable device, the report found. This means roughly one-third of the population can access devices capable of connecting to 5G networks.
By comparison, 98 percent of the population has access to a 4G-capable handset, showing a wide gap in device availability between the two technologies.
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High handset prices remain the main hurdle limiting 5G device adoption, with access still restricted to roughly one-third of the population.
“This 38.4 GB monthly gap demonstrates that 5G adoption in Kenya represents a fundamental shift in user behavior rather than an incremental increase. Because only 32% of the population has access to a 5G-capable phone while 98% has access to 4G handsets.”
According to the report, measured mobile download speeds in Kenya average 45.38 Mbps, according to the report.
Despite the recorded download speeds, Kenya’s overall mobile network sub-score stands at 43 out of 100.
Network consistency and responsiveness each score 32 out of 100, contributing to the lower overall network performance score.
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