Telecom Network Cost per GB in 2026: How 5G, AI and Energy Efficiency Are Cutting Data Costs

Global mobile data traffic has crossed 220 exabytes per month, but telecom operators are not increasing network spending at the same rate. The result is one of the most important changes in telecom economics: the cost of carrying each additional gigabyte is falling as networks become more efficient and traffic scales. Mobile data traffic Ericsson Mobility Report 2026 There is no standardized industry figure for the fully loaded network cost of 1 GB.