Ericsson forecast 5G subscriber numbers would hit more than 580 million by the year-end, putting the technology on track to become the most swiftly-adopted mobile generation to date.

In its latest Mobility Report, Ericsson stated 5G was luring 1 million new subscribers per day, putting the technology on a trajectory to exceed 1 billion customers two years faster than it took 4G to hit the milestone.

The vendor noted 5G growth will largely be driven by a massive commitment by Chinese operators, along with “timely availability” of compatible devices.

Ericsson said more than 160 operators have now launched commercial 5G services globally, with highest penetration in Northeast Asia, North America, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and Western Europe.

By end-2026, it predicted 5G subscriber numbers would total 3.5 billion, or 40 per cent of all global users. While Northeast Asia is expected to top the tables in terms of outright user numbers with 1.4 billion, North America is tipped for the highest penetration, at 84 per cent.

Monthly average data consumption is expected to grow from 10GB per month today to 35GB.

Pandemic push
The vendor explained momentum around commercial 5G growth will be boosted by “the enhanced role of connectivity as a key component” of the economic recovery in the wake of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

Fredrik Jejdling, EVP and head of Business Area Networks, said the coming five years will mark “the next phase of 5G, with accelerating rollouts and coverage expansion in pioneer markets such as China, the USA and South Korea”.

“Now is the time for advanced use cases to start materialising and deliver on the promise of 5G. Businesses and societies are also preparing for a post-pandemic world, with 5G-powered digitalisation playing a critical role”, Jejdling noted.