5G Rollout: Where the world stands

The uptake of 5G services is expected to be equally rapid in India as well. Telecom hardware company Ericsson had stated that it estimated that 40 percent of subscribers in India will be on 5G networks by 2027, according to a report released in June 2021. The company had also estimated that 56 percent of total mobile traffic in India would be carried by 5G networks.

In a more recent analysis, American multinational investment financial services company Jefferies released a note stating that they expected 5G smartphones to form 50 percent of the smartphone base in India by 2025.

In terms of leading the global race in 5G innovations, countries like the US, China, South Korea, Japan, Netherlands and the Philippines have some of the biggest rollouts. In terms of the number of cities with 5G services, China leads the pack with 356 cities while the US follows close behind with 296 cities. The rest of the pack follows far behind with countries like the Philippines, South Korea and Canada. In terms of speed, South Korea has the fastest 5G network with speeds up to 492.48 Mbps median download speed. Norway, United Arab Emirates and China follow afterwards, according to a report from Ookla. Though the US has some of the more extensive 5G networks, its speeds are some of the worst in the world.

China has also made some of the biggest investments in 5G technology, as the country has invested nearly $40 billion and constructed 718,000 5G base stations, about 70 percent of the global total. The country is on track to have 1.4 billion 5G subscribers by 2026, according to the Ericsson Mobility report, becoming one of the fastest 5G adopting countries in the world by sheer numbers. By 2025, the country is expected to have a 36 percent 5G penetration, compared to 11 percent in India. However, countries like South Korea, the US, and Japan are ahead in terms of 5G penetration during the same time period, according to a report from GSM Association.