5G subscriptions in Asia Pacific continue to grow

5G subscriptions in the region stood at 61 million at the end of 2023, making up over 20 per cent of all mobile subscriptions in Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia. By the end of the decade, 5G mobile subscriptions are expected to account for 43 per cent of the overall market in Asia Pacific, with 560 million subscribers.

Although 5G population coverage is growing, 5G mid-band is only deployed in around 25 per cent of all sites globally outside of mainland China. The 5G mid-band spectrum provides a sweet spot between both coverage and capacity, while improving user experience. As the technology matures, the focus for many service providers is expected to shift to developing differentiated connectivity offerings.

Rita Mokbel, head of Ericsson Vietnam, said, "Ericsson’s investments in research and development and across a wide product portfolio are valued by a market where technology is constantly evolving. Our products have been 5G-ready since 2015, with over 10 million 5G-ready radios shipped since then. We will leverage our global and regional deployment experience as well as our robust technology to support a seamless 5G mass deployment in Vietnam."

The report also predicts global 5G subscriptions will be close to 5.6 billion by the end of 2029 - with coverage beyond mainland China set to double from 40 per cent at the end of 2023 to 80 per cent by then.

About 300 communications service providers (CSPs) now offer 5G services around the world and 5G expected to account for about 60 per cent of all mobile subscriptions by the end of 2029.

Close to 160 million 5G subscriptions were added globally in the first three months of 2024 - bringing the total to more than 1.7 billion. Almost 600 million new subscriptions are expected in 2024 as a whole.

Mobile network data traffic grew had grown 25 per cent on-year last March, driven primarily by subscriber migration to later generations and data-intense services, such as video.

Approximately a quarter of all mobile network data was handled by 5G by the end of last year, and mobile data traffic is forecast to grow with a compound annual growth rate of about 20 per cent this decade.

Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of Networks, Ericsson, said, "The June 2024 Ericsson Mobility Report shows continued strong uptake of 5G subscriptions. Enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless access are the leading use cases, with signs that 5G capabilities are influencing service providers’ fixed wireless access offerings."

Based on unique Ericsson and partner network insights, the Ericsson Mobility Report has been the key industry reference for network data, performance, statistics, and forecasts since its launch in 2011.