5G has led to an explosion in mobile data consumption around the world. According to a new study from Ericsson, average global consumption was recently set at around 10GB/month. Unsurprisingly, it is video streaming services, such as Netflix or YouTube, that Most networks have a monopoly in countries where 5G technology has become the norm.
The deployment of 5G is accompanied by an explosion in the amount of mobile data consumed by Internet users. According to a study by equipment manufacturer Ericsson, users now consume 10 GB average monthly. According to an Arcep report released in 2018, the average French person consumes only 5GB of data per month.
“5G subscriptions with a 5G-enabled device increased by 70 million in the first quarter, to nearly 290 million. We estimate that there will be approximately 580 million 5G subscriptions by the end of 2021 worldwide” Ericsson highlights.
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35 GB data consumption by the end of 2026 with the fifth generation network
During the first semester of 2021, 5G proliferation acceleration Almost everywhere in the world, especially in France with the first offers arriving at the end of 2020. It is clear that the rise in the use of 5G has been confirmed especially in regions where the network is the most developed, such as Southeast Asia or India.
Europe is still lagging behind But it should gradually catch up in the coming years, the report notes. 4G is the dominant technology and accounts for 50% of all subscriptions. In 2026, 4G will remain the dominant technology and should account for 65% of mobile subscriptions, while 5G subscriptions should account for 33% of plans. Ericsson explained.
In those countries where 5G technology has already proven itself, it is Video streaming services That monopolizes most of the power of the network. Thus, 66% of mobile data traffic is powered by services such as Netflix, Disney+, YouTube or TikTok.
Against this background, Ericsson estimates that average global mobile data consumption could rise It will reach 35 GB by the end of 2026. In some countries, monthly consumption is already around 15 GB. A previous Ericsson study, published in 2019, predicted average consumption of up to 200 GB in 2025.
Source: Ericsson
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