MWC 2023

Second wave of 5G coming

Trade organization GSMA expects the number of 5G network deployments to grow strongly. New hammocks are rolling out in over 30 countries this year alone.

GSMA Intelligence projections, announced at MWC Barcelona 2023, point to a significant period of growth in terms of mobile subscribers and enterprise adoption.

The number of consumer connections has already surpassed one billion by the end of 2022 and will increase to around 1.5 billion this year, before reaching two billion by the end of 2025. Compared to 3G and 4G, 5G is by far the technology fastest growing network.

As of January 2023, there are 229 commercial 5G networks and over 700 5G smartphone models available to users around the world.

Growth will also come from key markets such as Brazil and India, which have recently launched 5G networks. India will be especially important, in part due to the expansion of Airtel and Jio services in 2023. GSMA Intelligence predicts that by the end of 2025 there will be four 5G networks in India, accounting for an additional 145 million users.

Today, 5G adoption in sub-Saharan Africa is below 1%, but will exceed 4% by 2025 and 16% by 2030, thanks in large part to a concerted effort by industry and government organizations to bring high-speed connectivity to citizens.

Until now, 5G adoption has been driven by relatively mature markets. We are now entering a second wave to 5G, where the technology will appeal to a range of new markets and audiences,” said Peter Jarich, Head of GSMA Intelligence.

As of January 2023, more than 90 fixed broadband service providers (the vast majority of which are mobile operators) have launched 5G-based fixed wireless services in over 48 countries.

While the majority of current 5G deployments are focused on the 3.5-3.8 GHz bands, a number of operators around the world are already using mmWave 5G spectrum. This is currently the highest achievable.

So far, only 7% of 5G launches have been in 5G mmWave spectrum, but that appears to be changing as 27% of spectrum assignments and 35% of tests already use 5G mmWave bands. Spain received the first allocation of European 5G mmWave spectrum this year. Telefónica, Ericsson and Qualcomm launched their first commercial 5G mmWave network at MWC Barcelona 2023 this week.

Figures from GSMA Intelligence also suggest that the enterprise carrier market will be the main driver of 5G revenue growth over the next decade. Edge computing and IoT technology offer more opportunities for 5G, with 12% of operators already launching private wireless solutions.

That's where 5G Advanced in 2025 comes in. 5G Advanced promises higher speed, better coverage and mobility, and lower power consumption.

by: mundophone