5G connections tipped to reach 690m by 2025
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There will be around 690 million 5G connections by 2025, five years after the standard is expected to be approved, Strategy Analytics predicts.
The research firm expects 5G to account for 7% of mobile connections by this time, driven by early adopters in the US, South Korea and Japan.
China has also laid out a 2020 5G launch plan, Strategy Analytics notes, which will help accelerate adoption.
Operators including NTT DoCoMo, SK Telecom, Verizon and AT&T are leading the charge
Commercial 5G handset sales are meanwhile expected to exceed 300 million by 2025, according to Strategy Analytics director Ken Hyers.
“While the first commercial 5G handsets will appear in small numbers in 2020 in South Korea and Japan, from 2021 more countries including the US, UK, Sweden, UAE and China will see their own launches,” he said.
“By 2022 tens of millions of 5G handsets will be sold, and as a proportion of total handset sales will reach low single digit percentages.”
The first trial 5G handsets expected to emerge in 2018 are expected to have issues including short battery life, no 4G handover or unstable connectivity, Strategy Analytics said. But these teething problems are expected to have been largely resolved once commercial handsets reach the market.
Questions & Answers
Q.What proportion of all mobile connections is 5G expected to represent by 2025?
What proportion of all mobile connections is 5G expected to represent by 2025?
Strategy Analytics predicts that 5G will account for 7% of all mobile connections by 2025. This adoption will be driven by early users in countries like the US, South Korea, and Japan.
Q.Which countries are expected to be the earliest adopters of 5G technology?
Which countries are expected to be the earliest adopters of 5G technology?
The US, South Korea, and Japan are identified as the primary early adopters driving 5G connections. China's planned 2020 launch is also expected to accelerate overall adoption rates.
Q.What issues are anticipated with the first trial 5G handsets appearing in 2018?
What issues are anticipated with the first trial 5G handsets appearing in 2018?
The first trial 5G handsets are expected to have issues such as short battery life, a lack of 4G handover capabilities, and potentially unstable connectivity. These problems should largely be resolved by the time commercial handsets launch.
Q.When are 5G handsets expected to be widely available beyond the initial launch countries?
When are 5G handsets expected to be widely available beyond the initial launch countries?
While small numbers of commercial 5G handsets will appear in South Korea and Japan in 2020, more countries, including the US, UK, Sweden, UAE, and China, will see launches from 2021 onwards.
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