The number of mobile connections using 5G technology will increase from about one billion this year to five billion worldwide by 2028, representing 55% of all mobile connections.
In six years, 5G signal coverage will reach 85 percent, with 5G technology accounting for about 70 percent of all mobile traffic and growth. This is according to a recent study by Ericsson.
According to Ericsson, more than three-quarters of telecommunications service providers in more than 100 countries now offer FWA services. Nearly one-third prefer FWA 5G, up from one-fifth a year earlier. Nearly 40 percent of new FWA 5G connections launched in the past 12 months are in emerging markets.
This confirms that 5G is the fastest growing generation of mobile communications.
Among the main reasons are the good availability of cell phones and FWA terminals from various manufacturers, whose prices are falling faster than 4G, as well as the large-scale deployment of 5G in China. In North America and Northeast Asia, 5G growth is very strong, and 5G penetration here is expected to reach about 35% by the end of 2022.
Worldwide, about 230 operators have already introduced their 5G services, and more than 700 5G-enabled smartphone models have already been announced or are on the market.
The number of mobile connections is expected to exceed 8.4 billion by the end of 2022, and 9.2 billion by the end of 2028. Smartphones account for the majority of these connections. An estimated 6.6 billion smartphones will be connected by the end of 2022, accounting for about 79 percent of all mobile connections.
The 5G Revolution
5G will change everything – and it will be a much bigger change than what we associate with the advent of wireless technology. The 5G standard will not only be used to connect computers and cell phones to the Internet. It will also be used by the smart devices that are slowly making their way into homes.
The new generation of mobile Internet will find applications in transportation, virtual reality, sports, and health care, for example.
Smart washing machines and refrigerators will also be connected to 5G networks, as will autonomous cars – a fast and stable Internet connection on the move is key to their development.
So while 5G may seem like just another mobile communications standard, its benefits will actually be much greater. According to Ericsson’s research, the fifth generation of mobile networks will make high-speed Internet available to a billion people and devices. Moreover, it will provide a boom in cutting-edge technology.