There will be 1 billion 5G subscribers by 2023, when more than 20% of the world’s population has access to the technology, according to a 5G subscriber forecast included in the latest Ericsson Mobility Report.
The report also found that mobile data traffic, driven by video, is continuing to grow and that LTE will be the dominant access technology by the end of this year.
5G Subscriber Forecast
The report also features three articles on rising industry trends:
- An article about shifting mobile data plans examines the move to ever larger plans as well as the actual data consumption within different plans. It highlights the importance of a good mix of data plans, including unlimited, to address a variety of consumer needs.
- “Enhancing the event experience” focuses on how event organizers and operators can meet visitors’ needs for more digitized services and immersive experiences.
- “Millennials’ expectations for 5G” explores how this age group perceives their mobile experience, their hopes on 5G, and what their viewpoints imply for operators.
The 5G deployment race will start with some 5G new radio deployments next year. More extensive deployments are expected in 2020. The U.S., South Korea, Japan and China are expected to lead the deployment parade.
Monthly global mobile data traffic is expected to pass 100 Exabytes during the period of the study. Video traffic, which is a major factor, is being driven by young millennials. People in the 15- to 24-year old age bracket stream 2.5 times more than people over 45 years old. The impact of video is being exacerbated by higher resolutions and immersive formats.
By 2023, there will be 5.5 billion LTE subscriptions worldwide, according to Ericsson. More than 85% of the world’s population will be covered and Voice over LTE will have launched in more than 125 networks more than 60 countries.
