Global 5G subscriptions are projected to top one billion by the end of 2022, and five billion by the end of 2028, despite current and developing economic challenges in many parts of the world. A new mobility report from Ericsson also predicts global fixed wireless access (FWA) connections to grow faster than previously expected.
FWA — the wireless alternative to wireline broadband connectivity for homes and businesses — is one of the major early 5G use cases, particularly in regions with unserved or underserved broadband markets. FWA is forecast to grow at 19% year-on-year through the 2022 to 2028 period, reaching 300 million connections by the end of 2028. This growth will be chiefly driven by accelerated FWA plans in India and expected
Source: 123RF growth in other emerging markets.
According to Ericsson, more than three-quarters of communications service providers (CSPs) surveyed in more than 100 countries currently offer FWA services. Almost one-third of CSPs are offering FWA over 5G, compared to one-fifth a year ago. Almost 40% of the new 5G FWA launches in the past 12 months have been in emerging markets.
Nearly 110 million 5G subscriptions were added globally between July and September 2022, bringing the total to about 870 million. This growth is attributed to the expanding availability of devices from multiple vendors, with prices falling faster than for 4G, and China’s large early 5G deployments. North America and Northeast Asia continue to see strong 5G growth, with 5G subscription penetration in the regions expected to reach about 35% by end of 2022, according to the report.
