By Hana Anandira
GSMA Intelligence bullish on second wave of 5G
5G consumer connections will hit the two billion mark by the end of 2025, doubling from the end of 2022, as more countries begin to launch the technology and adoption increases, a new report from GSMA Intelligence stated.
Findings from a study announced on the second day of MWC23 Barcelona showed 5G momentum is being spurred by high uptake in mobile subscriptions and enterprise use cases and by the end of this year alone, consumer connections are forecast to hit 1.5 billion, up from one billion last year.
Growth will be driven by increased adoption in Asia Pacific and Latin America, with Brazil and India expected ramp up rollout following recent launches. As of January 2023, there were 229 commerical 5G networks globally, supported by more than 700 5G-capable smartphones.
Going forward, new markets will also come to the fore. In total, 30 countries are expected to launch next-generation services in 2023, and of the new networks deployed, 15 will be standalone 5G.
Head of GSMA Intelligence Peter Jarich said the industry was entering the second wave of 5G, “which will see the technology engage a diverse set of new markets and audiences”.
"The extension to new use cases and markets will challenge the mobile ecosystem to prove that 5G truly is flexible enough to meet these diverse demands in a way that’s both inclusive and innovative,” he said.
The study added enterprise will also be the key driver of 5G revenue growth over the next decade.