5G is hitting the mainstream fast: According to a GSA report, around 70 countries had 5G networks as of June 2022, up from just 38 in mid-2020. Approximately 15 more have had 5G mobile technology deployed in part. It is expected that 5G will reach 1 billion users this year after just 3.5 years in use, compared with 4 years for 4G and 12 years for 3G.
The Americas and Europe are at the forefront of 5G implementation, as our map shows. But investments in the technology have also been made in almost every country in Asia, with the technology also already deployed in many Asian countries.
South Korea is the country that deployed the first 5G network and is expected to stay in the lead as far as penetration of the technology goes, By 2025, almost 60 percent of mobile subscriptions in South Korea are expected to be for 5G networks. A launch in India is expected for next year and an auction for 5G bandwidth frequencies kicked off recently.
Nokia and SURF, the organization for IT in Dutch education and research, have successfully reached a single carrier 800Gb/s optical transmission over SURF’s existing cross-border, multi-vendor research and education network infrastructure.
Nokia and Vodafone are collaborating to test the viability of L4S technology over passive optical networks (PON).
The GSMA believes that critical reform of European laws is necessary to position the region as a technology frontrunner by 2030.
