Cover Story
Cover Story
Bandwidth to burn
More services , higher definition , more devices , more locations . All need bandwidth and providers are not in short supply . Colin Mann takes a look at the role competing and complementary technologies such as FTTH , wireless and satellite broadband are playing in meeting the demand now and into the future .
At the turn of the 1990s , Professor Sir Bryan Carsberg , who from 1984 to 1992 headed the then telecoms regulator , Oftel , told a London conference that he foresaw the recently-liberalised UK market consisting of a patchwork of interconnected and competing networks , some with fibre and wireless providing the last ‘ drop ’ to the house .
Mobile phone technology was in its ( analogue ) infancy , and the few satellite dishes were owned by early adopters of Sky in the UK and its global counterparts . At the time , satellites were considered by some to be good at ‘ long-haul ’ needs , but not more consumerrelated requirements .
Many territories in developing parts of the globe had little existing infrastructure , a situation that still obtains to the current day , but the options to reach those individuals and locations has increased dramatically , with a range of access options available . 5G . In parts of the world with limited legacy infrastructure , 5G has emerged as an access solution ; 5G mobile subscriptions stood at 1.7 billion at the end of 2022 , accounting for 18 % of total mobile subscriptions worldwide , according to data and analytics company GlobalData . The figure is forecast to rise to 5.5 billion , occupying a share of 48 % of total mobile subscriptions by 2027 .
“ 5G has not yet taken off as many network operators had hoped , and the technology still needs a strong , mass-market businessto-consumer ( B2C ) use case beyond fixed wireless access ( FWA ),” advises Laura Petrone , principal analyst , thematic intelligence at GlobalData . “ Given how difficult they have found it to command a premium rate for B2C 5G services , wireless operators ’ quest for propulsive consumer 5G use cases will continue . Cloud gaming , augmented reality ( AR ), and virtual reality ( VR ) are among the areas likely to be mined for opportunities .”
Industry data from network test , monitoring and assurance specialist VIAVI Solutions reveals that 5G connectivity has reached a tipping point globally as 5G networks are now active in 47 of the world ’ s 70 largest economies by GDP . There are 2,497 cities globally with commercial 5G networks , across 92 countries . A further 23 countries have pre-commercial 5G trials underway and 32 countries have announced their 5G intentions . This leaves just 48 countries , many of which are smaller island nations , that have not publicly announced plans for 5G . DEPLOYMENTS . A total of 18 countries announced their first 5G deployments in 2022 . The new 5G countries include two of the largest developing economies , India and Mexico , as well as other emerging economies such as Angola , Ethiopia , and Guatemala . The data also revealed several other major trends relating to 5G deployments :
“ 2022 was 5G ’ s graduation year ,” suggests Sameh Yamany , CTO at VIAVI Solutions . “ It evolved from being a developed markets phenomenon into a global phenomenon . On a technical level too , with a near doubling of Standalone 5G networks , the capabilities of 5G have expanded significantly and we can look forward to more sophisticated network and business capabilities from operators . In the coming year , a major focus will be network quality and the further development of Open RAN technologies – and we ’ ll be playing our part in ensuring those are as successful as possible .” ACCELERATION . Most recent data from Omdia indicates 455m global 5G connections were added in 2022 . Overall , those figures represent 14 % sequential quarterly growth from 922m in Q3 2022 to 1.05 billion in Q4 2022 . Global 5G connections are forecast to continue their acceleration in 2023 , approaching 2 billion and reaching 5.9 billion by the end of 2027 .
“ Connectivity and specifically mobile broadband communications is a key part of how people live , study and transact business ,” states Jose Otero , Vice President of Caribbean and Latin America for 5G Americas . “ 5G and LTE continue to make significant progress throughout the region . Longer term , 5G has an opportunity to foster productivity and industrial development in the region .”
Figures from GSMA Intelligence show 5G connections are expected to double over the
next two years , expedited by technological innovations and new 5G network deployments in more than 30 countries in 2023 alone . Of the new networks to be deployed in 2023 , it is expected that 15 will be 5G Standalone networks . Consumer connections surpassed one billion at the end of 2022 and will increase to around 1.5 billion this year – before reaching two billion by the end 2025 . This momentum confirms 5G as the fastest generational roll-out , when compared to 3G and 4G . GROWTH . Growth will also come from key markets within APAC and LatAm , such as Brazil and India , which have recently launched 5G networks . India will be especially significant , with the expansion of services from Airtel and Jio in 2023 expected to be pivotal to the region ’ s ongoing adoption . GSMA Intelligence predicts there will be four 5G networks in India by the end of 2025 , accounting for 145m additional users .
Many of the new 5G markets scheduled to launch networks in 2023 are in developing regions across Africa – including Ethiopia and Ghana – and Asia . Today , 5G adoption in the sub-Saharan region sits below 1 % but will reach over 4 % by 2025 and 16 % in 2030 , largely thanks to a concerted effort from industry and government organisations to provide connectivity to citizens .
“ Until now , 5G adoption has been driven
10 EUROMEDIA