The global number of 5G subscriptions is expected to surpass 2.6 billion in six years, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report.
Average monthly data-traffic-per-smartphone is forecast to increase from 7.2 GB to 24 GB by the end of 2025, thanks in part to VR; 24 GB would allow streaming 30 minutes of HD video with an additional six minutes of VR each day.
The report also projected that 5G will cover up to 65 per cent of the global population by the end of 2025 and handle 45 per cent of global mobile data traffic.
Meanwhile the total number of cellular IoT connections is expected to grow from 1.3 billion to 5 billion by the end of 2025 – a compound annual growth rate of 25 per cent. NB-IoT and Cat-M technologies are estimated to account for 52 per cent of these cellular IoT connections in 2025.
“It is encouraging to see that 5G now has broad support from almost all device makers,” said Fredrik Jejdling, executive VP and head of networks, Ericsson. “In 2020, 5G-compatible devices will enter the volume market, which will scale up 5G adoption.
“The question is no longer if, but how quickly we can convert use cases into relevant applications for consumers and enterprises. With 4G remaining a strong connectivity enabler in many parts of the world, modernising networks is also key to this technological change we’re going through.”
