KUALA LUMPUR: The number of 5G subscriptions is expected to rise to 580 million by the end of 2021 from 220 million last year before crossing 3.5 billion by 2026, said Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson.
Ericsson said the projection was riven by an estimated one million new 5G mobile subscriptions every day.
It said 5G remains on track to become the fastest adopted mobile generation in history with subscriptions increasing at a rate of about a million per day.
"5G subscriptions with a 5G-capable device grew by 70 million during the first quarter of 2021. China, North America and the Gulf Cooperation Council markets are leading the way on subscriber numbers, while Europe is off to a slow start," it said.
The forecast, which is featured in the 20th edition of the Ericsson's Mobility Report, enhances the expectation that 5G will become the fastest adopted mobile generation.
Ericsson, however, said the pace of adoption varied widely by regions.
"5G is expected to surpass a billion subscriptions two years ahead of the 4G LTE timeline for the same milestone. Key factors behind that include China's earlier commitment to 5G and the earlier availability and increasing affordability of commercial 5G devices," it said.
Ericsson also said more than 300 5G smartphone models had been announced or launched commercially.
This commercial 5G momentum was expected to continue in coming years, spurred by the enhanced role of connectivity as a key component of post Covid-19 economic recovery, it added.
"Northeast Asia is expected to account for the largest share of 5G subscriptions by 2026, with an estimated 1.4 billion 5G subscriptions.
"North American and GCC markets are expected to account for the highest 5G subscription penetration, with 5G mobile subscriptions comprising 84 percent and 73 percent of all regional mobile subscriptions respectively," it said.
President of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh David Hagerbro said 5G would be the backbone of Malaysia's MyDigital blueprint.
Hagerbro said the government's acceleration of the high-speed network rollout would also be a strong indication of the need to digitalise the country's economy and realise the vision of a fully connected nation.
"Advanced use cases will help accelerate 5G implementation and adoption in the country. 5G combined with IoT, would help accelerate the government's digital transformation initiatives and help in the economic transformation of the country," he added.