Report: 5.6 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of the decade

Interest in technology and mobile data consumption are at an all-time high. Growth is steady and by the end of this decade it will reach record numbers. The number of 5G subscriptions, globally, should reach almost 5.6 billion by the end of 2029, and mobile data traffic will increase by 20%, according to estimates published in the latest edition of the Ericsson Mobility report. The document reveals the fact that the number of communication service providers that offer 5G services and, implicitly, practice related tariffs, has increased by almost 50%, up to 40% of the total number of communication service providers that also offer Fixed Wireless Access subscriptions (FWA), the second most widespread 5G usage scenario, after enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB). Currently, approximately 300 communication service providers globally offer 5G services, and approximately 50 of them have launched 5G Standalone (5G SA) networks. As for 5G subscriptions, their number continues to grow in all regions. Thus, around 160 million 5G subscriptions were added in the first three months of 2024, up to a total of over 1.7 billion. According to the report: "Overall, the number of new subscriptions is expected to be almost 600 million new subscriptions in 2024. In addition, according to the researchers, 5G subscriptions will total almost 5.6 billion by the end of 2029 - the global coverage of of the 5G population, outside mainland China, to double from 40% at the end of 2023 to 80% by the end of 2029. Thus, at the end of 2029, mobile subscriptions that also include 5G capabilities would represent approximately 60 % of total mobile subscriptions at the global level Regionally, by the end of 2029, North America would have the highest adoption rate of 5G subscriptions, with 90% (430 million). India, 5G subscriptions could grow from 119 million at the end of 2023 (about 10% of all mobile subscriptions in the country) to about 840 million (65% of all subscriptions) by the end of 2029." According to the cited source, in terms of user experience, statistics from a leading communications service provider show that for 97% of services accessed by users on mid-band 5G frequencies, the loading time was up to 1.5 seconds shorter, compared to 67% on 5G low-band 5G and 38% on 4G (in all frequency bands). The current edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report highlights that the annual growth forecast of mobile data traffic will be lower, compared to the level reported in November 2023, mainly as a result of changes made to some forecast data, such as lower figures reported by regulatory authorities and communications service providers in some high-user markets in the second half of 2023.

The volume of data traffic from mobile networks increased by 25%, year on year, (March 2023 vs March 2024), an evolution determined mainly by the migration of subscribers to new generations of devices and services with intensive data traffic, such as video. Estimates show an increase in mobile data traffic at a compound annual rate of around 20% until the end of 2029. In 2023, around a quarter of data traffic on mobile networks will be carried by 5G technology and it is expected that this it will increase to approximately 75%, by the end of 2029, underlines the cited source.

In April this year, 241 of the 310 communication service providers (CSPs) globally, included in the Ericsson report, offered FWA services, and 128 of them (about 53%) also have offers that include 5G services FWA, up 12 percentage points compared to the corresponding period in 2023.