Global telecom operators have added 185 million new 5G connections in the first quarter of 2024, reaching nearly two billion, according to data from 5G Americas and Omdia.
5G connections in the North America region comprised 32 percent of all wireless cellular connections. Telecom operators in the North America region added 22 million new connections to networks. North American 5G connections totaled 220 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Latin America operators added eight million LTE 4G connections, reaching a total of 591 million across the region.
Latin America operators added nine million new 5G connections to reach 48 million 5G connections at the end of the first-quarter.
Omdia forecasts global 5G connections are projected to reach 7.7 billion by 2028, with North America forecast to boast 700 million 5G connections.
“North America is swiftly moving to a region of essentially only LTE and 5G, with most operators having closed their legacy networks already. On top of that, vast 5Gcoverage and devices at a range of price points helps drive 5G adoption. IoT is also expected to have more of a role in driving 5G adoption later in the forecast,” Omdia principal analyst Kristin Paulin said.
Currently, IoT subscriptions stand at 3.3 billion, complemented by 6.7 billion smartphone subscriptions. Forecasts suggest that IoT subscriptions will reach 5 billion, while smartphone subscriptions will surge to 8 billion by 2028.
There are 316 5G networks worldwide including 17 in North America and 40 in Latin America and Caribbean. There are 172 LTE networks including 18 in North America and 134 in Latin America and Caribbean.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
