5G gained about 537 million connections around the world during the third quarter of 2023, according to 5G Americas, based on data from Omdia. That brings the global total to about 1.6 billion 5G connections, up 71% from the same period last year.
The analyst firm anticipates that 5G will reach a global connection base of 1.8 billion as of the close of 2023. It further forecasts that 5G will hit 7.9 billion global connections by 2028—with the caveat that 5G’s growth may not be linear, with the pace of adoption depending on factors that including infrastructure development, consumer demand, device availability and spectrum availability. Kristin Paulin, principal analyst at Omdia, said that the current 5G landscape presents a “cautiously optimistic picture.”
