Ericsson recently released its monthly Mobility Report, which estimates that more than 1 billion people – 15 percent of the world’s population – will have access to 5G coverage by the end of 2020. The November 2020 Ericsson Mobility Report also forecast that by 2026, 60 percent of the world’s population will have access to 5G coverage, with subscriptions totaling 3.5 billion.
According to Ericsson’s Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, “This year has seen society take a big leap towards digitalization. The pandemic has highlighted the impact connectivity has on our lives and has acted as a catalyst for rapid change.”
The report estimates the increase in 5G accessibility is mostly attributed to the “rapid uptake in China,” which accounts for 80 percent of global subscriptions, totaling 175 million. In China, 11 percent of subscribers already have 5G access. In addition, Europe will end the year with about 1 percent of 5G subscriptions. North America is expected to round out 2020 with about a 4 percent adoption rate. By 2026, Ericsson anticipates that 80 percent of North American mobile subscriptions will be on the 5G network, the highest of any region in the world.
Another finding in the Ericsson report is that the number of service providers offering fixed wireless access (FWA) is rising, with totals reaching two-thirds of service providers now offering FWA. According to the report, FWA connections are forecast to more than triple and reach over 180 million by the end of 2026, accounting for nearly a quarter of total mobile network data traffic.
Reader Interactions