The number of 5G connections has reached 1.76 billion globally in 2023 by adding 700 million, according to 5G Americas, and data from Omdia.
North America region experienced 64 percent growth in 5G connections, adding 77 million connections to its network. By the end of 2023, North American 5G connections totaled 197 million.
Latin America witnessed substantial progress in both 4G LTE and 5G connections, with LTE connections reaching 582 million by the close of 2023, adding 40 million new connections.
Latin America had 39 million 5G connections by year-end, setting the stage for further expansion in the years to come.
“Various factors, including 5G handset mass market availability and completion of spectrum auctions will see an increase in 5G coverage, and subscriber growth,” said Jose Otero, Vice President of Latin America, and the Caribbean for 5G Americas.
Omdia forecasts global 5G connections are projected to reach 7.9 billion by 2028. North America will have 700 million 5G connections by 2028.
“5G will reach the global milestone of accounting for more than half of all connections by 2028. For North America, as an early leader, 5G will be more than 80 percent of connections,” Omdia principal analyst Kristin Paulin said.
Additionally, 5G data traffic is expected to be 76 percent of all technology data traffic as it reaches 2.6 billion TB (or 2600 EB), with all technology data traffic reaching 3.4 billion TB (or 3400 EB) by 2028.
IoT subscriptions stand at 3.1 billion, complemented by 6.6 billion smartphone subscriptions. Forecasts suggest that IoT subscriptions will reach 4.5 billion, while smartphone subscriptions will surge to 7.4 billion by 2026.
Globally, the number of deployed 5G networks shows strength compared to 4G LTE deployments. In North America, almost matches 4G LTE networks deployed. Currently, there are 314 commercial 5G networks worldwide, and this number is anticipated to grow to 450 by 2025, reflecting significant investments in 5G infrastructure worldwide, 5G Americas said.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
