1 billion people expected to have 5G cover by end of the year

1 billion people are expected to have 5G cover by end of the year: That amounts to 220 million 5G subscriptions according to telecommunications hardware maker Ericsson, who also expects 3.5 billion people to have 5G subscriptions by 2026 in a recent report.

This is an increase from previous forecasts, and may have been the result of increased sales of 5G compatible devices. Especially China, who has outdone the expected 5G adaptation at break-neck speed, helped by the decrease in pricing of 5G phones.

This has also meant that some phone makers like Xiaomi has increased sales more than 30%, but while a small drop has been noted during this year, 8.8 billion subscriptions are expected to exist when 2026 comes to an end.

This does not spell the end for 4G/LTE, Ericsson expects LTE to peak in 2021, and then 5G will take over as the dominant network. As 5G is needed as a core component for the future of the next decade and extreme levels of communication between devices, 5G has been debated on a national level in most countries.

If you are interested in learning more about Ericsson's perspective on gaming, its mentioned on page 25 in the report.