A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) forecasts 1.4 billion 5G connections by 2025, an increase from just one million in 2019, the anticipated first year of commercial launch. This will represent an average annual growth of 232%.
Juniper’s new research says that, to be successful, 5G fixed wireless broadband need to meet expectations in real-world scenarios to compete with fibre broadband.
The research group says China, the U.S., and Japan will have the highest number of 5G connections by 2025. Together these 3 countries will have 55% of all 5G connections by 2025.
Additionally, Juniper finds that the US alone will account for over 30% of global 5G IoT connections by 2025, with the highest number of 5G connections for fixed wireless broadband and automotive services. In terms of commercial IoT [Internet of Things] revenues, the research group says that the ARPC (average revenue per connection) would be disappointing, including smart cities and digital health.
This is due to low data requirements and nominal duty-cycles. The research group says operators must evelop new business models to minimize network operating costs, including software-based solutions to manage the diverse requirements of individual 5G IoT connections. What’s more, it advises that maximizing connectivity revenues through 5G fixed wireless broadband will prove crucial to offset this disappointment, with ARPC forecast to remain above $50 until 2025.
“Operators and vendors must test their networks in a real-world environment at scale, ensuring speeds can compete with fibre services,” notes research author Sam Barker. “Networks that can deliver the highest speeds and greatest reliability will command the highest ARPCs, hastening an operators’ return on 5G investment”.
