The number of devices with mobile capabilities and a subscription will increase by 50 percent by 2021. The key figures include the growth of mobile subscription from 690 million in 2015 to over one billion by 2021 and smartphone subscriptions from 170 million in 2015 to 690 million in 2021. The regional report covering Sub-Saharan Africa reveals that while total mobile subscription penetration now sits at 80 percent, the region expects to see 100 percent mobile penetration by 2021 with over 1 billion mobile subscriptions. This will improve the prospect of financial inclusion for the 70 percent unbanked through mobile payments services.
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In the latest edition of Ericsson Mobile Report, the company predicts that South Korea, Japan, China and the U.S. will become the first few countries to have 5G subscriptions. 5G will connect new types of devices, enabling new use cases related to the Internet of Things (IoT); the transition will open up new industries and verticals to ICT transformation.
Globally mobile data traffic growth is expected to increase at a CAGR of 45% between 2015 and 2021, the report said.
A complete copy of Ericsson’s report can be found here.
“5G is about more than faster mobile services – it will enable new use cases related to the Internet of Things”, comments Rima Qureshi, Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Ericsson.
North America data traffic per active smartphone will grow from 3.8 to 22 GB per month by 2021; in Western Europe, the increase is forecast to rise from 2 to 18 GB per month. Mobile broadband will complement fixed broadband in a few segments, and will be the dominant mode of access in others. Video traffic will account for 70 percent of total mobile traffic.
“Based on recent network measurements, a stronger than anticipated growth of average data traffic consumption per user resulted in a significant upward adjustment of our forecast”, Ericsson said.
According to Peter Jonsson, project manager for Ericsson Mobility Report, the continued rise in mobile data traffic around the world – including India – is due to attractive data plans, and the increased availability of affordable smartphones and tablets.
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Ericsson also believes that increased use of technology can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 gigatonnes – equivalent to the current carbon footprint of the U.S. and European Union combined – by 2030. The market of LTE is predicted to reach 1.2 billion by 2021.
