Western Europe is rapidly catching up with North America and China when it comes to fifth generation (5G) mobile communications. The number of 5G mobile subscriptions in Western Europe will almost double from 32 million at the end of 2021 to 63 million at the end of 2022, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report presented in Stockholm on Wednesday.
For the coming year, the experts from Sweden predict even faster growth in Western Europe: by the end of 2023, they expect almost 150 million 5G customers in this part of the world.
More speed, less latency
The fifth generation of mobile communication (5G) offers significantly higher data transmission speeds than the previous UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) standards. In addition, the delay time (latency) is lower, so that 5G can also be used for real-time applications such as remote control of a machine or telemedicine applications. 5G technology is also better suited than 3G or 4G to bring masses online, such as the visitors in a large football stadium.
According to Ericsson’s research, more than one billion 5G mobile contracts will have been signed worldwide by the end of 2022. With the high growth figures in Western Europe, the international ranking is also shifting. So far, the North America region has led the way. More than a third (35 percent) of all mobile phone customers there already have a 5G-compatible mobile phone subscription. This is followed by Northeast Asia (34 percent) and the Gulf Cooperation Council region (20 percent). Western Europe has so far achieved only eleven percent.
Ericsson: In 2028 there will be five billion 5G users
For the period to the end of 2028, Ericsson experts predict that North America (91 percent) and Western Europe (88 percent) will be neck and neck. This is followed by the Gulf States (86 percent) and Northeast Asia (74 percent). The number of global 5G contracts will increase to five billion by the end of 2028.
According to the study, the 5G boom is not only driven by 5G smartphones, but also by the broadband connection of private households and offices that use mobile communication technology – thus as an alternative to the fixed network connection. Experts then speak of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
FWA is one of the highlighted trends. “Technology use is growing faster than expected and is expected to connect more than 300 million households worldwide by 2028.” 5G will then be used as the transmission technology for 80 percent of these connections. About 100 million users in households or offices are currently online using FWA technology and using different mobile phone standards.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
