Ericsson re-inforces positive expectations of subscribers on 5G mobile network

Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company, Ericsson, has reinforced expectations that the 5th generation mobile network (5G), supported by key growth drivers including China’s surging commitment to 5G, the availability and increasing affordability of commercial 5G devices, will soon become the fastest adopted mobile generation in history.

The prediction, which appeared in the 20th edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, noted that subscriptions were increasing at a rate of about one million per day, with 5G-enabled devices rising by 70 million in the first quarter of 2021 and is expected to reach 580 million by the end of 2021. It further estimated 3.5 billion 5G subscriptions and 60 per cent coverage of the 5G population by the end of 2026.

According to the report, with over 300 models of 5G smartphones already announced or launched commercially, 5G is expected to surpass one billion subscriptions two years ahead of 4G’s Long Term Evolution (LTE) schedule for the same milestone.

It also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating digitization and increasing the importance and need for reliable and highspeed mobile broadband connectivity with smartphones, which currently carry 95 per cent of data traffic, consuming more data than ever before.

Ericsson also pointed out that as smartphones and video driving mobile data traffic continue to grow year on year, global mobile data traffic excluding fixed wireless access (FWA) has generated traffic exceeding 49 EB per month and is expected to increase fivefold to 237 electron beam (EB) per month in 2026.

The report, however, noted that the pace of adoption varies considerably from region to region, with Europe recording a slower start and has continued to lag far behind China, the United States, Korea, Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets in the pace of 5G deployments, while Northeast Asia is expected to account for the largest share of 5G subscriptions by 2026, with around 1.4 billion 5G subscriptions.

Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of networks, Ericsson, said the world is in the next phase of 5G with accelerated deployments and expansion of coverage in pioneer markets such as China, the United States and South Korea. He added that nearly nine in ten Communication Service Providers (CSPs)have introduced 5G and also have fixed wireless access (FWA) (4G or 5G) offering, even on high fiber penetration markets.

Jejdling said that businesses and corporations have started preparing for a post-pandemic world, with 5G-powered digitization playing a critical role, necessitating advanced use cases to start to materialize and deliver on the promise of 5G.

He noted that 5G business momentum is expected to continue in years to come, driven by the increased role of connectivity as a key part of the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, adding that globally, average smartphone usage now exceeds 10 GB per month and is expected to reach 35 GB per month by the end of 2026.