5G Americas said that 5G accounted for 29% of all North American connections by the end of 2023
5G connections reached 1.76 billion globally at the end of 2023, after a net addition of 700 million connections during the year, according to a new report by 5G Americas with data from Omdia.
North America was the main region in terms of 5G adoption last year, with the technology accounting for 29% of all North American connections by the end of 2023. The report noted that the region experienced a 64% year-over-year growth in 5G connections, adding 77 million new connections to its network. By the end of 2023, North American 5G connections totaled 197 million.
“The wireless telecommunications industry stands at the cusp of a new era, driven by innovation, collaboration, and a shared vision for a connected future. With Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) continuing to drive consumer broadband demand, new technology milestones are advancing unparalleled connectivity experiences worldwide,” said Chris Pearson, president of 5G Americas.
The report also noted that Latin America also witnessed substantial progress in both 4G LTE and 5G connections, with LTE connections reaching 582 million by the end of 2023, adding 40 million new connections year over year. In the 5G field, the region ended last year with 39 million 5G connections.
“4G LTE is still the strongest technology across the region” said Jose Otero, vice president of Latin America, and the Caribbean for 5G Americas. The executive said the region will see an increase of 5G coverage and subscriber growth this year chiefly due to the availability of more 5G phones and the completion of spectrum auctions.
According to Omdia forecasts, global 5G connections are projected to grow to 7.9 billion by 2028, with North America forecasted to reach 700 million 5G connections by the same year.
Omdia Principal Analyst Kristin Paulin, said: “With this forecast, 5G will reach the global milestone of accounting for more than half of all connections by 2028. For North America, as an early leader, 5G will be more than 80% of connections.”
Additionally, the report highlighted that 5G data traffic is expected to represent 76% of all technology data traffic as it reaches 2.6 billion TB, with all technology data traffic reaching 3.4 billion TB by 2028, reflecting the exponential growth of 5G connectivity.
The report also noted the growing momentum of IoT at a global level. Currently, global IoT subscriptions stand at 3.1 billion, complemented by 6.6 billion smartphone subscriptions. Forecasts suggest that IoT subscriptions will reach 4.5 billion, while smartphone subscriptions will surge to 7.4 billion by 2026.
Currently, there are 314 commercial 5G networks worldwide, and this number is anticipated to grow to 450 by 2025. According to the 5G Americas report, North America had 17 commercial 5G networks as of the end of 2023 while the number of 5G networks in Latin America and the Caribbean was 39.
In the 4G LTE segment, North America had 18 networks at end-2023 while Latin America and the Caribbean had a total of 135 networks.