The number of active 5G subscriptions worldwide will exceed 1 billion by 2022, aided by increased adoption in China and North America. According to Swedish telecom supplier Ericsson. Ericsson said in its semi-annual movement report that the weak global economy and uncertainties caused by Russia’s occupation of Ukraine had reduced the estimate to about 100 million.
5G subscriptions increased by 70 million to approximately 620 million in the first quarter, while 4G subscribers increased by 70 million to approximately 4.9 billion. 5G networks offer much faster speeds than 4G / LTE and can connect multiple devices. This should enable, among other things, the massive use of IoT devices such as sensors and drones, but also promote autonomous driving.
4G growth has peaked this year
Ericsson estimates that the total number of 5G subscriptions will reach 4.4 billion by 2027. The half-yearly report says that the growth of 4G users is expected to peak this year and then subscribe as subscribers move to 5G. Ericsson had earlier reported that the number of 4G subscriptions was expected to peak last year.
If the number of 5G subscribers this year actually reaches 1 billion, it will reach this mark two years earlier than 4G, which reached 1 billion subscribers 10 years after its launch. The 5G auction took place in the Netherlands in July 2020, after which KPN, T-Mobile and VodafoneZiggo launched their national mobile networks. The bid for the 3.5 GHz band is scheduled, but will depend on Inmarsat’s move. This company legally opposes this. There are no plans yet to use the 26GHz band.
