Ericsson’s latest Mobile Market Report shows that 5G is still growing faster than any previous generation of mobile communications. The number of 5G mobile sign-ups is expected to reach 5 billion by the end of 2028.
Ericsson forecasts that global fixed wireless access (FWA) connections will grow faster than previously expected. FWA is expected to grow at an annual rate of 19% over the period 2022-2028, reaching 300 million connections by the end of 2028.
According to the data, about 110 million new 5G sign-ups were added worldwide between July and September 2022, bringing the total number of sign-ups to about 870 million. Ericsson previously reported that 5G sign-ups are still expected to reach 1 billion by the end of this year, and 5G is expected to reach 1 billion sign-ups two years earlier than 4G.
Ericsson said the statistics prove that 5G remains the fastest expanding generation of mobile technology, mainly due to the timely launch of 5G models by several vendors and their price drops faster than 4G phones, as well as China’s early large-scale deployment of 5G.
In addition, 5G continues to grow strongly in North America and Northeast Asia. By the end of 2022, 5G sign-up penetration in these regions is expected to reach approximately 35%. Nearly 230 operators worldwide have gone live with 5G services to date, and more than 700 5G smartphone models have been released or commercialized.
By the end of 2028, the report expects global 5G signups to reach 5 billion, or 55 percent of total signups. Similarly, by the end of 2028, 5G population coverage will reach 85% and 5G networks will carry approximately 70% of mobile traffic, making them a major contributor to all contemporaneous traffic growth.
