5G is about to reach an important milestone. Telecom equipment maker Ericsson says in its latest mobility report that 1 billion wireless subscribers worldwide will be connected to 5G by the end of the year. This number is still far behind 4G, which reached around 5 billion subscribers in 2022.Ericsson predicts that 4G growth will peak at the end of the year and 5G will compete to replace the prevailing connectivity standard. While higher speeds are on the way for many of us, we’ll probably have to pay more for that too.
Operators have expanded their 5G infrastructure in North America over the past three years. According to estimates, about 35 percent of mobile subscribers in this region will be 5G subscribers by the end of 2022.
Prices may rise with 5G
On the other hand, Ericsson’s report on higher prices for 5G shows Western Europe, where it’s common for wireless plans to split into different speed tiers. However, the high prices are not limited to Western Europe or the USA; Ericsson states that 25 percent of operators that offer 5G globally demand a premium for 5G over 4G services, with an average price difference of around 40 percent.Although possible price increases are at the door, according to the published report, the total number of 5G subscribers has increased to 870 million worldwide. It is stated that 110 million new subscribers were added worldwide between July and September.
According to the report, by 2028, 5G is expected to reach 5 billion subscriptions worldwide, accounting for 55% of all network subscriptions. Overall mobile subscriptions in 2028 are expected to exceed 9.2 billion.
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