5G subscriptions in the Gulf region will account for the second highest penetration globally by 2026, according to new research from tech giant Ericsson.
The company projects that there will be 62 million 5G mobile subscriptions in the Gulf by 2026 and will constitute almost three quarters of all mobile subscriptions in the region.
Additionally, 5G mobile subscriptions will exceed 580 million globally by the end of 2021, driven by an estimated one million new 5G mobile subscriptions every day, Ericsson added.
The forecast enhances the expectation that 5G will become the fastest adopted mobile generation.
It said government-sponsored digital initiatives in the Gulf region are accelerating both technological innovation and expected 5G uptake.
In 2019, GCC markets were among the first in the world to launch commercial 5G services.
Driven by Saudi Vision 2030 and its digital initiatives, Saudi Arabia is utilising technologies such as 5G to transform the economic and social landscape of the nation.
As one of the leading economies in the GCC, Saudi Arabia is supporting the use and growth of technologies such as 5G in a region where mobile data consumption is the highest in the world.
According to the Ericsson Mobility Report, at the end of 2020 the GCC had the highest average monthly data traffic per smartphone in the world, exceeding 18GB.
Globally, 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.
More than 300 5G smartphone models have already been announced or launched commercially.
This commercial 5G momentum is expected to continue in coming years, spurred by the enhanced role of connectivity as a key component of post-Covid-19 economic recovery, the report noted.
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