As we move further into the digital age, 5G technology is becoming increasingly prevalent. According to a report by GlobalData, by the end of 2022, around 1.7 billion people had a 5G mobile subscription, accounting for more than 17% of total mobile subscriptions worldwide. This figure is expected to rise significantly by 2027. However, despite these promising statistics, 5G technology still needs a compelling use case for the mass market.

5G: Gaining Traction but Still Needs a Strong B2C Use Case

There are signs that 5G is gaining traction, and enterprises are more willing to consider 5G as a primary access service. However, 5G has not yet taken off as many network operators had hoped, and the technology still needs a strong, mass-market business-to-consumer (B2C) use case beyond fixed wireless access (FWA).

Key Trends Shaping the 5G Industry

The main trends shaping the 5G industry are classified into three categories: technology trends, macroeconomic trends, and regulatory trends.

Technology Trends

Key technology trends impacting the 5G theme include fixed wireless access (FWA), standalone 5G, 5G spectrum auctions, private 5G networks, network virtualization and containerization, network slicing, massive MIMO, edge computing, network densification and the move to virtual RAN, small cells, and the impact of Chinese equipment bans.

Macroeconomic Trends

The key macroeconomic trends include a challenging macroeconomic environment, M&A, and the trade war between the US and China.

Regulatory Trends

Regulatory trends impacting the 5G theme include spectrum auctions, concerns over radiation levels, mobile infrastructure sharing, and frameworks for 5G cybersecurity.

5G Industry Analysis

The 5G market is anticipated to expand at a growth rate of more than 47% during the period 2022-2027. Subscriber growth will accelerate in the coming years, supported by increased spectrum availability and operator investment in network rollouts. The availability of affordable handsets will be key to driving adoption, particularly considering economic headwinds caused by rising inflation that will affect consumers’ disposable income. In the future, the development of the IoT industry, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, smart cities, and industrial automation, will help support 5G growth.

Leading Operators and Infrastructure Suppliers

Leading operators in the 5G industry include AT&T, BT, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, KT, LG, NTT DoCoMo, Rakuten Group, SK Telecom, Softbank, Telefónica, T-Mobile US, Verizon, and Vodafone.

Leading infrastructure suppliers include Apple, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and ZTE.

Source: globaldata.com