STOCKHOLM – Over the last decade, mobile data traffic increased nearly 300-fold, according to a special 10-year edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, which was released today.
The Ericsson Mobility Report looks back at key trends and events from the last decade and reveals new forecasts, which look to 2027.
According to the report, the increase in mobile data traffic “has been supported by an increased population coverage and multiple mobile generations running in parallel, adding the required traffic capacity.”
The report also shows broadband Internet of Things (IoT) will represent 40% of cellular IoT connections by the end of 2027, and massive IoT technologies will account for 51%.
The Ericsson Mobility Report further forecasts there will be close to 660 million 5G subscriptions worldwide by the end of the year. (This is up from the 580 million subscriptions a previous Ericsson Mobility Report published in June predicted there would be by the end of this year.)
“The increase is due to stronger than expected demand in China and North America, driven partly by decreasing prices of 5G devices,” a press release announcing the publication of the report says.
The report estimates 5G will “become the dominant mobile access technology, by subscriptions globally, by 2027,” the press release says. 5G is further anticipated “to account for around 50 percent of all mobile subscriptions worldwide – covering 75 percent of the world’s population and carrying 62 percent of the global smartphone traffic by 2027.”
According to the full report, while North East Asia currently has the highest 5G subscription penetration, it is projected that in 2027 “North America will have the highest 5G penetration at 90 percent.”
The report indicates “5G subscription uptake is expected to be faster than that of 4G following its launch in 2009, reaching 1 billion subscriptions over 2 years sooner than 4G did.”
Factors influencing this “include the timely availability of devices from several vendors, with prices falling faster than for 4G, as well as China’s early engagement. By the end of 2027, we forecast 4.4 billion 5G subscriptions globally, accounting for 49 percent of all mobile subscriptions. 5G will become the dominant mobile access technology by subscriptions in 2027,” the report reads.
“Mobile communication has had an incredible impact on society and business over the last ten years,” said Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice-president and head of networks at Ericsson, in the press release.
“When we look ahead to 2027, mobile networks will be more integral than ever to how we interact, live and work. Our latest Ericsson Mobility Report shows that the pace of change is accelerating, with technology playing a crucial role.”
To view the full report, please click here.
