Ericsson has released the June 2020 installment of its Ericsson Mobility Report, and it contains good news for the 5G industry.
According to the report, Ericsson has increased its estimates for 5G adoption, thanks in large part to China, expecting some 190 million 5G subscriptions by the end of 2020. This is despite slower adoption in both North America and Europe. In fact, Ericsson is projecting that North American and European 5G subscriber growth for 2020 and 2021 will be less than originally anticipated, although the long-term 2025 target is still on track.
This would indicate that once 5G adoption begins in earnest, it will rapidly pick up speed. Similarly, Ericsson believes that nearly half, or 45%, of mobile data will be handled by 5G networks by 2025.
Overall, the speed of 5G adoption is far outpacing LTE, thanks to China’s fast adoption and multiple vendors releasing 5G-compatible devices.
Interestingly, as ubiquitous as LTE has become, its days are clearly numbered. Ericsson believes the number of LTE subscribers will peak in 2022, then begin to decline as 5G becomes dominant.
The entire report is over 30 pages and well worth a read, shining light on a number of trends within the wireless industry.