Commercial services switching on worldwide
Telecommunication companies have been able to offer 5G services in many countries since 2020. As more smartphones with 5G capabilities are released for sale, subscription rates are expected to increase significantly. By 2025, forecasts predict that there will be around three billion 5G subscriptions worldwide. Developed Asia and North America are expected to embrace the 5G technology faster than the other regions. By 2025, more than 60overall mobile connections are projected to be 5G-enabled in these two regions.5G: What are the benefits?
As capacity demands are driven by growing internet data traffic increase, 5G aims to speed up data communication by up to twenty times compared to 4G/LTE. 5G technology will also allow a connection density up to ten times greater than that of 4G/LTE, capable of supporting up to one million connections in a single squared kilometere.5G technology will allow for easier streaming of high-definition media in densely populated areas or when out of reach of Wi-Fi hotspots. Other potential benefits include integrated management of the vast amount of connected devices in a smart society, lower cost, lower battery consumption, lower latency, and improved support of device-to-device communication.
Further, 5G is also expected to advance machine-based, IoT-centric functionalities, for example, in automotive for autonomous and self-driving cars, and smart factories. The economic impact of 5G is expected to reach 484 billion U.S. dollars in the United States alone, delivered through enhanced productivity and efficiency, as well as the creation of new sales opportunities across the economy.
Real world speeds
Not all 5G networks are created equal, and user-experienced data transfer speeds can vary greatly. Download speeds can be affected by the frequency being used by the operator, the built-up environment, and proximity to infrastructure. Early testing shows varied results depending on the location, but significant boosts in speed compared with 4G/LTE.South Korea showed the fastest average 5G download speed in the Asia-Pacific region, ahead of Taiwan and Australia. Finland featured the fastest average 5G download speed in Europe, more than 30 Mbps faster than the next-fastest results in Greece, Switzerland, and Austria. T-Mobile achieved the highest average 5G download speed across five cities in the United States during 2020, recording 83.8 Mbps in the Washington/Arlington/Alexandria region.
