The
long-hyped promise of 5G is gradually becoming a reality as communication
service providers worldwide are battling one another to deploy 5G networks.
While 4G networks are quick enough for most users for their internet needs, the
next evolution of wireless networks is increasing at a rapid pace. Countries
that want to stay competitive in the global economy are building and deploying
5G technology to make them available for citizens. The next generation
technology offers a great amount of spectrum for wireless communication, at
least one gigabit per second connection speeds, short delays than 4G
technology, enhanced reliability, much lower latency, and provides greater
flexibility to users.
The
new 5G network has the potential to open
a world of possibilities for businesses and consumers alike with greater speed
and improved connectivity. Wireless technology can play a crucial role in
accelerating the adoption of self-driving cars, augmented reality, extended
reality, virtual reality, and other devices connected to the Internet of
Things. According to certain estimates, 5G technology could generate 22.3
million jobs and contribute USD13.2 trillion to the
global economy by 2035. With the rapid adoption of IoT devices and advanced
mobile broadband technology, the demand for 5G networks is growing fast. Global
5G connection reached 429 million in Q2, jumping 41% from 305
million in Q1, according to data from Omdia.
As per the VIAVI Solutions report, the number of
cities with 5G networks has reached to 1,336 globally since
the past year despite the pandemic. Sixty-one countries worldwide have deployed
commercial 5G networks since January 2020, the majority of which are from Asia.
Overwhelming subscriber appetite for fast speed and enhanced connectivity is
the driving factor for the expansion of 5G networks in Asian countries.
However, China and the USA are significantly ahead of other nations in
bandwidth expansion and 5G rollout.
Here are the top ten countries with the largest 5g network in the world
Vietnam is
among the first countries to adopt 5G deployment for their commercialization
plan. The growth has been such that Vietnam 5G market is expected to grow
steadily. Vietnam has long stated its plan to plan to provide efficient 5G
coverage, by 2030 since its intimation of the ability to offer high-speed
internet connection at low cost, according to the Ministry of Information and
Communication.
Vietnam has
the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia, which hit $23 billion in
value in 2022 and is purposefully set to achieve over $50 billion by 2025,
which can be largely associated with a thriving e-commerce sector, supported by
increased efforts to drive digitalization. In 2022, the country planned to
reduce the number of 2G subscribers from 24 million to 5-7 million by 2022, to
free up more bandwidth for 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. By 2024, for the aim of
removing old technologies, MIC is expected to stop extending the licenses for
2G/3G. Their 2025 objective is to popularize 4G/5G network services and
smartphones.
5G coverage
is expected to reach 75% of the US population, by 2025, which
is up from 13% in 2020, with the expansion of the use of the mid-band spectrum
in urban and suburban areas. Major mobile operators such as AT&T, T-Mobile,
and Verizon are focused on deploying mid-band 5G through 2021 and 2022. While
AT&T and Verizon have been strengthening their high band millimetre wave
and low 5G offering, a new entrant like Dish is planning to commence its
commercial 5G services from 2022. According
to Ericsson report, around 195 million 5G subscriptions can be
expected by 2026, and the technology is anticipated to occupy 71.5% of
the entire US mobile market by 2029. The economic benefits will be shared across
rural communities and minority groups in urban areas to bridge the digital gap
to ensure access. As per the
Cellular Telecommunication Industry Association (CTIA) estimates, the rapid
growth with the expansion of 5G technology could drive USD275 billion in
investment and lead to USD500 billion in economic growth. In
addition, FCC has also auctioned or planned to auction several mid-band
spectrum bands such as 2.5GHz, 3.5 GHz, and 3.7-4.2 GHz because of their ideal
nature of the ability to carry heavy data flow, while traveling significant
distances.
5G market
of South Korea falls among the most advanced and competitive market in the
world. The country was the first to launch commercial 5G services in 2019 and
has since effectively penetrated the market. South Korea, one of the early
adopters of 5G in 2018, continues to set benchmarks with high-speed and low
latency. SK Telecom, LG Uplus, and KT, South Korea’s 3 mobile operators,
improved their 5G speed and experience score in 2022. Besides, immense support
from the South Korean government to expand nationwide 5G coverage to 70% by
2025 is expected to accelerate the South Korea 5G market.
With the
country providing the fastest average internet connection in the world, a
quarter of South Korean mobile users have already subscribed to 5G. Top South
Korean telecom operators plan to commercialize new 5G technologies such as
millimetre-wave 5G, standalone versions of 5G networks, etc. while making a net
investment of USD22 billion through 2022. Besides, South
Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT has planned to make available a total
of 600 megahertz in the 28 GHz band and 100
MHz in the 4.7 GHz band throughout the country.
Many UK
mobile network operators started commercializing their 5G networks in 2019, but
its adoption expanded with a wider availability of 5G enabled handsets in the
market. Currently, 5G penetration in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and
Wales stands at 10.9%, 7.8%, 5.3%,
and 4.4% respectively. Everything Everywhere (EE) launched
UK’s first 5G service in May 2019 in some parts of London, Edinburgh, Belfast,
Cardiff, Birmingham, and Manchester and plans to cover the whole country by
2028. Besides, another largest telecom operator, O2, has successfully rolled
out 5G services in 180 cities of the UK. The introduction of various 5G phones
like Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, S20+ 5G, One Plus 7 Pro, Galaxy Fold 5G and
others are also expanding 5G coverage throughout the country. Besides, the
increased adoption of electric vehicles in the country is set to drive the 5G
coverage in the country in coming years.
Spanish multinational telecommunications
company, Telefónica has planned to make 5G available to 90% of
the country’s population by 2022. The company is already providing 5G services
to 80% of its population, spanning its services across 1300 towns
and cities. Other telecom operators such as Orange, Vodafone, MasMovil have
also launched their 5G commercial services in large cities to expand the
coverage. Spain has prioritized 5G development in the post-pandemic recovery
strategy by earmarking nearly USD171 billion to expand the digitization plans.
Although 5G
is an emerging technology in Canada, telecom operators are actively working on
expanding the wireless network coverage throughout the country at an impressive
rate. Mobile speeds in Canada have consistently been in the top ten globally
for download speed, but the new 5G technology has made the network 205% faster
than 4G. As per statistics, Bell was the fastest operator in the country in Q4
2020, with a median speed of 228.99 Mbps. British Columbia has the
largest number of cities with commercially available 5G services, but Montreal
has the fastest 5G download speed. Roger Communications network covers 97% of
Canada, which has invested over USD4 billion in 2019 and USD2
billion in 2020. Roger 5G services are available in Montreal,
Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto. The growing internet penetration and the
increasing need to boost innovation to keep up with the technological
advancements are further boosting expansion of 5G in Canada.
Australian
5G network is anticipated to add up to USD2000 in GDP per
person post the first decade of the network rollout. Australia’s largest
telecom operator, Telstra has already deployed over 2000 5G base stations,
covering 41% of the country’s population. The telco aims to
cover 75% of Australia’s population to provide 5G services
across the country. Australia has median 5G download speed of 283.56
Mbps, considered as fastest mobile speeds in the world. Australian
telecom operators are spearheading efforts to provide outstanding commercial 5G
services to the population. Optus is currently taking the lead in delivering
the fastest 5G in the country with a download speed of 309.86 Mbps.
Telstra has become the first telco to provide a Gigabit-class LTE service
coupled with a 4-layer MIMO technique and advanced modulation schemes for the
best network availability.
Saudi
Arabia has been at the forefront of 5G deployment with an aim to expand digital
infrastructure with private companies. The Saudi Telecom Company now has the
biggest 5G coverage with a median speed of 370.12 Mbps. Saudi
Arabia’s stc Group has recently announced the largest expansion of the 5G
network in history, which is a step that will help expand the existing network
to cover more than 75 cities and governorates in the country. With the faster
rollout of 5G, Saudi Arabia plans to support 45 million new “Internet of
things” devices, creating a market worth USD12 billion by
2030. 5G is crucial to Saudi Arabia’s aspirations of becoming a global leader
in smart city development, an essential part of Saudi vision 2030. Note that in
2022, the proportion of mobile sites with 5G services, surpassed 90% of
locations in major cities, covering a significant milestone. There is no deny
that Saudi Arabia’s 5G experience is considered the best in GCC.
For more
than two years, 5G has become a commercial reality in Italy, with many network
operators providing outstanding services to citizens and businesses alike. TIM
has spread its 5G services in Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence, and other regions
and plans to cover 120 cities by the end of 2021,
including 245 industrial districts. Vodafone has activated its
5G services in many areas and covers almost 90% population in
Milan. Italian operator Wind Tre has started its operations in among 59 provinces
and eight provincial capitals covering around 79% of the
Italian population. For the further rollout of 5G, the Italian government has
further planned to launch a USD4 billion investment scheme
connecting 6.2 million people to the network.
Finland is
a pioneer in 5G technology and the first country to deploy 5G. The front-runner
in 5G research and development, Finland has made 5G available in various
frequency bands such as 00 MHz, 3,400–3,800 MHz, and 26 GHz, identified as
pioneer frequency bands in Europe. Finnish telecom operator Elisa has a 5G
network coverage across 100 locations, covering around 50% of
the population. More than 1.8 million Finnish households
gained access to hi-speed 5G technology by the end of 2020, with 3000 mobile
network operators spread across 109 municipalities. Finland’s
strong history as a prominent player in network technology gives the country a
strong network infrastructure. So, while the world still grapples with 5G
technology, the country is already performing R&D for 6G.
All 5G
Networks Are Not Equal
After years
of successful deployment, 5G is now gaining significant momentum. Telecom
operators around the world have invested significantly to offer the fastest,
most reliable, and most extensive 5G coverage. For future reference, the four
major mobile carriers in the United States are building their 5G networks in
different ways. AT&T has both a limited mmWave network and a more broadly
available low-band network. The same goes for T-Mobile, which just switched on
its low-band network around the nation to go along with a handful of higher-end
service areas. Finally, Sprint operates on the mid-band for now, while Verizon
has focused on mmWave technology.
Current 5G networks mostly utilize NSA EN-DC
(TDD in n78 and FDD in n28) and DSS (FDD in n28, n1 and n3 bands. However, the
real 5G and 5G+ is coming. Reliability, response times, and interactivity will
be boosted. However, SA 5G network deployment may take some months to actually
take off on a large scale.