At the heart of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2024, GSMA Intelligence (GSMAi) unveiled groundbreaking figures highlighting the unstoppable momentum of 5G technology. With connections soaring to 1.6 billion by the end of 2023 and anticipated to eclipse 5.5 billion by 2030, 5G is on track to transform over half of the world's mobile connections. This rapid expansion not only underscores 5G's position as the fastest-deployed mobile generation to date but also forecasts its pervasive influence on the future of connectivity.
The acceleration of 5G has been nothing short of remarkable, with 261 operators across 101 countries having already launched commercial 5G services. The commitment to this next-gen technology extends further, with over 90 operators from 64 markets planning imminent rollouts. Among these, 47 operators offer 5G services on Standalone (SA) networks, a figure expected to grow as 89 additional near-term deployments leverage the enhanced capabilities of 5G SA. These include network slicing, ultra-reliable low-latency communications, and a streamlined network architecture, setting a new standard for connectivity.
Peter Jarich, head of GSMAi, highlighted the evolution of 5G from its initial focus on enhanced mobile broadband (EMBB) to its burgeoning role in driving enterprise IoT solutions, API monetization, and beyond. The advent of 5G-Advanced and 5G SA networks promises to fulfill 5G's early potential, especially in applications requiring network slicing, low latency, and massive IoT capabilities tailored to enterprise needs.
The expansion of 5G SA networks is poised to catalyze a revolution in connected devices, propelling the realization of a global IoT vision for enterprises. Currently, the enterprise segment boasts 10.7 billion IoT connections, surpassing consumer connections, and that number is projected to more than double to 38.5 billion by 2030. Smart buildings and smart manufacturing are set to dominate this growth, highlighting the transformative impact of 5G on the enterprise landscape.
Furthermore, the forthcoming rollout of 5G-Advanced with 3GPP Release 18 stands as a pivotal milestone in IoT delivery. GSMAi forecasts that over half of operators will begin deploying 5G-Advanced solutions within a year of their availability, spurred by use cases such as 5G multicast services and low-cost IoT support.
With mobile data traffic expected to quadruple by 2030, the expansion of 5G coverage and capacity is critical. GSMAi predicts a significant increase in monthly global mobile data traffic per connection, from 12.8 GB in 2023 to 47.9 GB in 2030. This surge will be fueled by the growing utilization of Generative AI (GenAI) in applications ranging from customer service chatbots to AI-generated video and music content, further underscoring the necessity for continued investment in 5G infrastructure.
The implications of 5G extend across all sectors of the global economy, with the manufacturing sector poised to reap 36% of the benefits over the next seven years. Public administration and services sectors are also set to benefit significantly, driven by advancements in smart factories, cities, and grids. As 5G continues to evolve and integrate into our daily lives, it stands as a testament to the potential of next-gen technology to reshape the world's economic and technological landscapes.