A new report is predicting some 53% of the world’s population will have 5G coverage by 2025, an increase of 254%.
The new analysis, by Bankr via TechRepublic, is based on the number of Ericsson’s Radio Base Stations, in combination with the coverage each of those base stations provides. While roughly 1.17 billion people were covered by 5G in 2020, that number is expected to double by 2022 and nearly quadruple by 2025, with 4.41 billion people covered.
Bankr’s analysis falls largely in line with Ericsson’s own November 2020 Mobility Report. According to Ericsson, 1 billion people had coverage at the end of 2020. Ericsson also predicts there will be 3.5 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of 2026.
While, at first glance, that may seem to contradict Bankr’s analysis, the actual number of 5G subscribers is likely to be less than the number of potential subscribers, as represented by those Bankr says will have 5G coverage. One factor likely driving this disparity is the fact that some carriers, such as Verizon, plan to charge more for 5G coverage.
Overall, Bankr’s analysis is more good news for the 5G industry, and illustrates how quickly the next generation of wireless technology is being adopted.