In India, 5G subscriptions are expected to account for around 65% of total mobile subscriptions by the end of 2029. | Photo credit: Reuters
The number of 5G subscribers in India is expected to reach 840 million, accounting for around 65% of the total mobile subscribers, by the end of 2029. According to an Ericsson Mobility report, the number of 5G subscribers at the end of 2023 is expected to be around 119 million.
In terms of user experience, statistics from a major service provider show that 97% of all user activities on 5G mid-band achieved content display times of less than 1.5 seconds, compared to 67% on 5G low-band and 38% on 4G (all bands).
Globally, data traffic on mobile networks grew 25% year-on-year between the end of March 2023 and the end of March 2024. This is mainly due to subscriber migration to next generation and data-intensive services such as video.
Moreover, mobile data traffic is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 20% by the end of 2029.
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By the end of 2023, about a quarter of mobile network data will be carried by 5G; that figure is expected to grow to about 75% by the end of 2029.
In terms of regional growth, North America is expected to have the highest penetration rate with 90% (430 million) of subscriptions being 5G by the end of 2029. Outside mainland China, 5G mid-band population coverage has reached 35%. North America and India are rolling out faster, with mid-band coverage exceeding 85% and 90%, respectively.
Researchers predict that the number of 5G subscribers will approach 5.6 billion by the end of 2029, and that global 5G population coverage outside mainland China will double from 40% at the end of 2023 to 80% by the end of 2029.
“The June 2024 Ericsson Mobility Report shows continued strong adoption of 5G subscriptions. Enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless access are the leading use cases, and there are signs that 5G capabilities are impacting service providers’ fixed wireless access offerings,” said Fredrik Jedling, executive vice president and head of Networks, Ericsson.
The survey is based on a sample of 310 communications service providers (CSPs) across the globe.
