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It seems like yesterday that we were welcoming the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards, 4G, making it easier and faster to surf the Web on our smartphones and tablets.
Now, 5G has taken over with its even faster speeds, lower latency, more bandwidth, and better connectivity, changing how we live and work in ways we never imagined.
In this article, we review the latest stats on 5G connectivity in the Americas and the world, along with global projections for 5G connectivity from 2024 onwards. We also explore the impacts of 5G and the challenges related to implementing it.
Key Takeaways
- 5G offers faster internet speeds, lower latency, and more bandwidth. This means that 5G is changing how we work, entertain ourselves, and participate in the world.
- 5G opened the doors to opportunities in telecommunications, healthcare, transportation, education, and immersive virtual environments.
- However, 5G is not yet very widely spread — 59% of the population in the Americas is covered by 5G, but this drops down to 38% worldwide.
- Infrastructure costs, device costs, and regulatory hurdles, particularly in low-income countries, are barriers to 5G deployment.
- Despite these barriers, global 5G coverage is projected to reach 86% by 2029.
Adoption and Coverage of 5G in Numbers
How widespread is 5G? It depends on the region.
For example, in 2023 (the last full year of data available from the International Telecommunication Union), the Americas had a much higher share of the population covered by 5G (59%) than the rest of the world (38%).
Interestingly, even 4G had only reached 52% of the global population by 2023, despite being around since 2009.
Several challenges relate to setting up 5G in various countries, particularly lower-income ones. In these countries, 2G and 3G networks have remained crucial means of communication.
Firstly, setting up 5G networks can be very expensive. Unlike 4G and 3G, you can’t just use the same cell towers, so many new sites are needed to install equipment and networks — which often need to be installed differently compared to older networks.
Secondly, mobile devices that can support and connect to 5G are more expensive than others, which can be a barrier to entry and slow down adoption.
Thirdly, there are also regulatory barriers to consider. Legal and policy hurdles can delay and complicate 5G deployment, making it harder to quickly roll out new networks. Even finding a space for a tower (say, near residential areas) can cause local resistance.
Impact of 5G on Various Sectors
5G makes using the Internet faster, so communication and streaming are smooth. It also allows more devices to be connected to one another in the Internet of Things (IoT).
Specific sectors that rely on 5G include:
- Healthcare: Thanks to its speeds, 5G can make telemedicine way more effective, with remote real-time consultations and even more advanced undertakings like remote surgery. It also affects health wearables, with up-to-date monitoring.
- Transportation: Self-driving cars are only possible with 5G, increasing real-time communication and making roads safer. The technology can also support intelligent traffic management that eases congestion.
- Education: Remote learning can be far more immersive thanks to 5G, with experiences such as virtual classrooms, labs, and field trips.
- Augmented and Virtual Reality: 5G’s high bandwidth and low latency allows opportunities in AR and VR, opening up possibilities for immersive experiences while gaming, learning, shopping, and navigating.
Evolution of Cellular Network: 4G vs. 5G vs. 6G
| Feature | 4G LTE | 5G | 6G (Expected) |
| Deployment | Widely deployed worldwide | Rolling out globally | Expected around 2030 |
| Data Rate | Up to 1 Gbps | Up to 10 Gbps | Up to 1 Tbps |
| Latency | 20-50 milliseconds | 1-10 milliseconds | Sub-millisecond |
| Frequency Bands | 600 MHz to 2.5 GHz | 24-100 GHz (including mmWave) | Terahertz (THz) bands |
| Bandwidth | 20 MHz | Up to 800 MHz | Up to several GHz |
| Network Capacity | Limited | 10x more capacity than 4G | 100x more capacity than 5G |
| Spectrum Efficiency | Moderate | High | Extremely high |
| Energy Efficiency | Moderate | Improved over 4G | Highly optimized |
| Connection Density | Up to 100,000 devices/km² | Up to 1 million devices/km² | Up to 10 million devices/km² |
| Mobility Support | Up to 350 km/h | Up to 500 km/h | Enhanced mobility support |
| Use Cases | Mobile internet, video streaming | Enhanced mobile broadband, IoT, AR/VR | Advanced IoT, holographic communications, AI-driven services |
| Core Technologies | OFDMA, MIMO | Massive MIMO, beamforming, network slicing | Advanced AI, machine learning, quantum communication |
| Security | Basic encryption, network security | Enhanced encryption, network slicing, secure boot | Advanced quantum cryptography, enhanced AI-driven security |
| Infrastructure | Macrocells, small cells | Macrocells, small cells, mmWave cells | Ubiquitous intelligent surfaces, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces |
Future Projections and Growth
Despite the challenges, 5G is only set to become more widespread in the coming years. According to projections published by Ericsson, 5G coverage worldwide will increase dramatically from 58% in 2024 to 86% by 2029.
The Bottom Line
In truth, the era of 5G is only just beginning; the numbers tell us that there is so much more yet to come.
What we have to look forward to is an increasingly connected world, with people, objects, and virtual environments part of the everyday fabric of life.
While we enjoy the benefits of 5G, we may have a while to wait until 6G, expected to launch in around 2030.
