Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G Uptake Outpacing 4G

Ericsson has released the June 2021 Ericsson Mobility Report, and it’s good news for 5G adoption.

Ericsson is one of the leading providers of wireless network equipment, putting it in a unique position to provide insights on the state of the wireless market. Especially as countries roll out their 5G networks, the Ericsson Mobility Report gives a glimpse of how well the rollout is going.

Despite what appears to be a disjointed and slow start, the latest report shows that 5G uptake is actually far faster than 4G.

The speed of 5G uptake is far higher than it was for 4G, let alone 3G, and it is one more sign of an industry that tirelessly continues to drive innovation and bring new technology to the market.

According to Ericsson, there are already more than 160 providers that have rolled out 5G services, and more than 300 5G smartphone models that have been released or announced. By the end of the year, Ericsson expects there to be around 580 million active 5G subscriptions worldwide. In North America, alone, roughly 84% of subscriptions will be 5G by 2026.

Demonstrating the broad potential of 5G to revolutionize industries, Ericsson says that 70% of providers are already offering 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services. This is especially critical, as 5G is seen as a viable alternative to traditional broadband, especially in areas where wired broadband is difficult or cost-prohibitive to deploy. Interestingly, of the providers who have already rolled out 5G service, 90% of them are offering FWA.

The entire report is well-worth a read and can be found here.