In all, about 6.2 billion mobile phones and tablets used by some 4.2 billion subscribers were connected over wireless networks globally in the quarter, Ericsson said.

By 2017, the total of mobile subscriptions is projected to reach 8.9 billion worldwide, a number that doesn't include a vast number of machine-to-machine connections.

In North America, the 330 million mobile subscriptions should grow to nearly 500 million by 2017, Ericsson said.

Some 1 billion of the current worldwide mobile subscriptions are for smartphones. Ericsson projects that number will grow to about 3.1 billion of the total in 2017.

Ericsson, which manufacturers a broad portfolio of wireless switching gear, also said 4G LTE networks with download speeds of greater than 10 Mbps grew the fastest over the past year in North America.