5G connections to reach 1.4b by 2025: Juniper Research

5G connections are forecast to reach 1.4 billion by 2025, an increase from just one million in 2019, the anticipated first year of commercial launch, according to Juniper Research.

In a new research, Juniper warned that to be successful, 5G fixed wireless broadband would need to meet expectations in real-world scenarios to compete with fiber broadband.

The research forecasts that China, US and Japan will have the highest number of 5G connections by 2025. Together these three countries will have 55% of all 5G connections by 2025.

The US alone will account for over 30% of global 5G IoT connections by 2025, with the highest number of 5G connections for fixed wireless broadband and automotive services.

However, in terms of commercial IoT revenues, Juniper forecast that the ARPC (average revenue per connection) would be disappointing, including smart cities and digital health. This was due to low data requirements and nominal duty-cycles.

The research urged operators to develop new business models to minimize network operating costs, including software-based solutions to manage the diverse requirements of individual 5G IoT connections.

Furthermore, Juniper advised that maximizing connectivity revenues through 5G fixed wireless broadband would prove crucial to offset this disappointment, with ARPC forecast to remain above $50 until 2025.

“Operators and vendors must test their networks in a real-world environment at scale, ensuring speeds can compete with fiber services,” said research author Sam Barker.

“Networks that can deliver the highest speeds and greatest reliability will command the highest ARPCs, hastening an operators’ return on 5G investment,” said Barker.