The latest mobile report from Ericsson predicts that by the end of 2029, there will be 530 million 5G users.
Published in November of this year, Ericsson's "Mobile Report" states that despite ongoing economic challenges and political unrest, global 5G usage continues to rise. This growth is primarily driven by four key regions, with China and India leading the way. However, mobile operators still struggle to provide satisfactory indoor coverage, a major concern for mobile users.
According to the report, user growth is rapid, and it is expected that by the end of 2023, one-fifth of global mobile users will be 5G users. This year alone, the total number of 5G users is expected to grow by 63% (610 million), reaching a global total of 1.6 billion users. Ericsson notes that this is approximately 100 million more than previously predicted.
Over the six-year period from the end of 2023 to 2029, global 5G users are expected to grow by over 330%, reaching 530 million from the current 160 million. It is anticipated that by the end of 2023, global 5G coverage will exceed 45%, increasing to over 85% by the end of 2029. By the end of 2029, North America and the Gulf Cooperation Council are expected to become the regions with the highest 5G coverage, reaching 92%.
Peter Jonsson, the executive editor of Ericsson's "Mobile Report," summarizes, "Despite macroeconomic challenges in different regions, we observe strong growth in 5G mobile users."
Jonsson points out that around 80% of the growth comes from China, India, North America, and Western Europe. In fact, China alone accounts for one-third of the total growth by 2023, mainly due to continuous 5G network deployment and the surge in 5G smartphones, with 95% of China's population currently covered by 5G.
Addressing Indoor Challenges
In the November 2023 "Mobile Report," Jonsson also notes that enhanced mobile broadband, fixed wireless access (FWA), gaming, and AR/VR-based services are the most common consumer uses of early 5G. However, low indoor coverage remains a persistent issue for 5G. "We spend over 80% of our daily time indoors, making good indoor connectivity crucial for 5G."
Steven Davis, Ericsson's Head of Strategic Marketing, highlights that despite the majority of network traffic being generated indoors, most 5G mid-band deployments so far only support outdoor coverage for mobile broadband and fixed wireless access. Recent research from Ericsson's Consumer Lab analyzes and emphasizes the correlation between network performance in key locations and user churn. Davis notes that most indoor deployments in the United States still rely on Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and are predominantly based on 4G.
The report emphasizes that operators need to upgrade indoor experiences to ensure customer loyalty, with 5G mid-band TDD and indoor small cells being the best solutions to significantly improve network performance in these critical locations. Investments are particularly needed in high-demand key locations such as airports and public venues, which are also critical points for customer churn.