5G Roaming Connections to Increase by 900 Percent in Four Years

The total number of 5G roaming connections will increase from 53 million in 2023 to 526 million by 2027, according to a new study by Juniper Research. This substantial growth will require the development of new roaming tools that can autonomously identify roaming connections as 5G connectivity proliferates. The research identified AI-based real-time analytics and roaming fraud mitigation services as two critical solutions that will enable operators to protect their networks against an influx of data traffic from roaming subscribers.

The research predicts that amidst the growth of 5G roamers, these emerging traffic analytics and anti‑fraud solutions must enable the enhanced identification and authentication of roaming connections over 5G networks. However, given the increased complexity of 5G networks, it anticipates current roaming analytics services will be insufficient in monitoring 5G roaming connections, and the subsequent increase in mobile roaming data.

To maximize the benefits of these new 5G roaming services, operators must invest in 5G NGCs (Next‑generation Cores), which are highly virtualized and can more efficiently assess traffic and connectivity. By deploying NGCs, roaming vendors can better protect networks’ processing power and signaling capabilities amidst rising levels of roaming data consumption. This will ensure a continuous level of service essential to attracting high-spending enterprise customers. Additionally, the report predicts that 5G NGCs will be imperative to enabling operators to handle the growth of data from roaming subscribers; forecasting that 5G data roaming traffic will grow 3,500% over the next four years.

“An inability to detect roaming connections that use valuable network bandwidth risks diminishing the user experience for the operator’s own subscribers. To maintain high-quality services for their subscribers, operators must invest in roaming solutions that can efficiently identify roaming connections that consume large amounts of cellular data,“ said report author Elisha Sudlow-Poole.