5G Americas forecasts 1.3 billion connections by year-end 2022

This is double the global connections of the previous year.

5G Americas claims global wireless 5G adoption, after three full years of growth, has reached the rapid acceleration phase having exceeded a half-billion connections by the end of 2021 and forecast to reach 1.3 billion by the end of this year, according to data from Omdia.

Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas, the wireless industry trade association for 5G and LTE for the Americas, said, “We are now out of the opening stages of this generation of wireless cellular technology, as 5G is rapidly getting into the hands of consumers and businesses, who are finding innovative new ways to use mobile connectivity.”

According to the most recent data from Omdia, the world added 303 million 5G connections year over year, representing a 139% increase from 218 million to 521 million and sequentially 19% growth quarter over quarter from 437 million in Q3 2021 to 521 million in Q4 2021. According to Omdia’s forecast, 5G is expected to double to 1.3 billion connections in 2022, nearly double again in 2023 to 2 billion connections, then reach 4.8 billion by the end of 2026. Of that, 516 million is expected to come from North America and 301 million from Latin America and the Caribbean.

By region, North America had a total of 72 million 5G connections by the end of 2021, which is an addition of 54 million 5G connections for the year — a gain of 292% year over year. Additionally, the region had 514 million LTE connections by the end 2021, which represents near full market maturity.

Although 301 million 5G connections are expected for Latin America in the Caribbean by 2026, 4G LTE remains the dominant wireless cellular technology in the region today with 495 million connections. That represents 17% annual growth with the addition of 72.6 million new LTE subscriptions year over year. Omdia expects 4G LTE growth will remain strong in Latin America and the Caribbean through 2022 with the addition of 43.2 million new 4G LTE connections, as 5G adoption begins to overtake 4G LTE.

Overall, the number of 5G commercial networks has reached 216, according to data from TeleGeography and 5G Americas. That number is expected to reach 330 by the end of 2022 and 352 by the end of 2024, representing strong 5G network investment growth in many regions throughout the world.

Data source: TeleGeography