Monday, March 29, 2021

Data Shows 5G Network Connections Surge in 2020

A March 25 press release by 5G Americas titled "5G Achieves Mass Market Appeal" summarizes year-end progress in next-generation network deployment for North America and for the globe. According to the press release, which is based on data collected by Omdia, worldwide 5G connections grew to 401 million last year, with a rate of adoption three times faster than 4G LTE adoption. Although the press release didn't include country-specific totals, it did touch on 5G deployment in the for region consisting of the U.S. and Canada:

Broken down regionally, North America had 19.96 million 5G connections and 499 million LTE connections by the end of Q4 2020. For the region, this amounts to a 4098% annual growth in 5G, and a gain of over 19.5 million 5G connections over the year. Meanwhile, 4G LTE gained over 22 million connections in 2020, which represents 4.7% growth.

Additionally, Omdia forecasted that 5G will reach 451 million in North America by the end of 2025. For more findings and forecasts, see 5G America's press release.