The wireless telecommunications industry saw continued robust growth and technological progress, largely driven by the ongoing advancement of 5G technology. In the first quarter of 2024, global adoption of 5G connections climbed steadily, nearing two billion with an addition of 185 million new connections, according to data from 5G Americas and Omdia.
“The wireless technology sector continues to demonstrate its strength and significance through rapid adoption and sustained robust growth globally. North America remains at the forefront of 5G implementation,” said Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas.
North America remains at the forefront of 5G adoption, with 5G connections in the region accounting for 32% of all wireless cellular connections. The region saw substantial growth in the first quarter, adding 22 million new connections to operator networks, bringing the total to 220 million 5G connections.
In the last quarter, Latin America also experienced significant growth in both 4G LTE and 5G connections, adding eight million new LTE connections for a total of 591 million across the region. The region embraced the 5G revolution, with nine million new 5G connections bringing the total to 48 million. 4G LTE subscriptions remain strong throughout the region, even as 5G handsets and spectrum availability increase.
“5G keeps accelerating as the increasing number of operators offering the technology continue to expand the population coverage of their networks in urban and suburban areas. While 4G continue its expanding presence in rural and remote areas helping governments fulfill their national connectivity goals,” said Jose Otero, Vice President of Latin America and the Caribbean for 5G Americas.
Looking ahead, Omdia’s forecasts suggest that the telecommunications landscape will evolve significantly this decade. Global 5G connections are projected to reach 7.7 billion by 2028, with North America expected to have 700 million 5G connections by the same year.
Omdia Principal Analyst Kristin Paulin highlighted: “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 5G coverage 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.”
The Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem will remain a critical component of the digital revolution. Currently, global IoT subscriptions stand at 3.3 billion, alongside 6.7 billion smartphone subscriptions. Forecasts predict that IoT subscriptions will reach 5 billion, and smartphone subscriptions will increase to 8 billion by 2028, underscoring the growing interconnectedness of our digital world.
Globally, the deployment of 5G networks has outpaced the deployment of 4G LTE networks at a similar stage in the technology cycle. The number of 5G deployments in North America is nearly equivalent to the number of 4G LTE networks. As of now, there are 316 commercial 5G networks worldwide, a number expected to grow with continued substantial investments in 5G infrastructure.
The number of 5G and 4G LTE network deployments as of 17 June 2024 are summarised below:
5G:
- Global: 316
- North America: 17
- Latin America and Caribbean: 40
4G LTE:
- Global: 712
- North America: 18
- Latin America and Caribbean: 134
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