Research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn have not severely derailed 5G deployments. Although some rollouts slowed, progress has generally continued at a steady pace.
Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas, noted:
“The pace of new commercial 5G network launches has remained healthy through the challenging quarter, as mobile network operators continue to build 5G networks for the long-term.”
In Q2 2020, which covered the first peak of the pandemic, TeleGeography reported that 30 additional commercial 5G networks launched, bringing the global total to 114. Industry forecasts at the time projected that the number of commercial 5G networks worldwide could reach about 204 by the end of 2020.
5G delivers higher speeds, lower latency, and greater reliability where it is available, while also enabling new use cases across industries.
Here is the breakdown of 5G and LTE networks globally and in the Americas as of September 16, 2020:
Global
- 5G: 114
- LTE Advanced: 335
- LTE: 682
North America
- 5G: 7
- LTE Advanced: 12
- LTE: 23
Latin America & Caribbean
- 5G: 10
- LTE Advanced: 49
- LTE: 125
Jose Otero, Vice President for the Caribbean and Latin America at 5G Americas, said:
“5G is breaking many records in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is the fastest mobile technology to arrive in the region and the first one included as part of many governments’ national development plans, including Brazil, Colombia, and Chile.”
While phrases like “the new normal” have become commonplace, many aspects of life will continue to change for the foreseeable future. Mobile technology remains critical for staying connected to family, friends, colleagues, and essential services.
This surge in demand for connectivity presents significant opportunities for mobile operators—and important responsibilities to ensure reliable, resilient networks.
According to the Ericsson Mobility Report, global mobile traffic, including fixed wireless access, increased by about 53 percent year over year. With more businesses adopting flexible working models, continued growth in network traffic is likely.
Omdia reported that global 5G connections reached nearly 138 million by Q2 2020, a 116 percent increase from the prior quarter. Omdia projected about 236 million 5G subscribers worldwide by the end of 2020.
Kristin Paulin, Senior Analyst at Omdia, commented:
“We expect growth to pick up in the second half of the year, following the easing of lockdowns as well as continued 5G network expansion and the availability of more 5G devices.”
Although much attention focuses on 5G, 4G adoption remains strong. Forecasts anticipated roughly 5.7 billion 4G LTE connections by the end of 2020, reflecting the ongoing importance of LTE alongside next-generation networks.
Further analysis and data are available from 5G Americas in their whitepaper on the global rise of 5G as a transformational technology.
(Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash)
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