In the second quarter of 2023, the number of 5G subscriptions worldwide increased by a significant 175 million, as per the Ericsson Mobility Report update dated August 31. This substantial growth brings the global total of 5G subscriptions closer to an impressive 1.3 billion.
During Q2 2023, India witnessed the highest net addition of mobile subscriptions, with a remarkable seven million new subscriptions. China followed with an addition of five million, and the United States with three million.
The report highlights that approximately 260 communications service providers (CSPs) have introduced commercial 5G services, and around 35 CSPs have initiated 5G standalone (SA) networks.
Additional Insights from Q2 2023 Update: Ericsson Mobility Report
- In Q2 2023, the total number of mobile subscriptions reached 8.3 billion, with a net increase of 40 million subscriptions during the quarter.
- India was the leader in net additions during this period, with seven million new subscriptions, followed by China with five million, and the U.S. with three million.
- The global mobile subscription penetration rate reached 105 percent.
- Mobile broadband subscriptions grew by approximately 100 million in the quarter, totaling 7.4 billion, marking a 5% year-on-year increase. Mobile broadband now constitutes 88% of all mobile subscriptions.
Mobile Subscription Shifts in Q2 2023
In the second quarter of 2023, 4G subscriptions saw a notable increase, growing by 11 million and reaching a total of approximately 5.2 billion. These 4G subscriptions now constitute 62% of all mobile subscriptions.
On the other hand, WCDMA/HSPA subscriptions experienced a decline of 85 million during the quarter, while GSM/EDGE-only subscriptions dropped by 59 million. Additionally, other mobile technologies witnessed a decrease of around two million during the same period.
Mobile Network Traffic Highlights for Q2 2023
Mobile network data traffic witnessed a substantial 33 percent growth between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023, reaching 134 exabytes (EB) per month.
- Quarter-on-quarter mobile network data traffic between Q1 2023 and Q2 2023 increased by about 6%.
- The forecasted growth in traffic is primarily driven by the continued strong adoption of smartphone subscriptions and the rising average data volume per subscription, propelled by data-intensive services like video.
- Significant variations in traffic levels were observed among different markets, regions, and service providers.
The graph above illustrates the total global monthly network data traffic from Q2 2016 to Q2 2023, accompanied by the year-on-year percentage growth in mobile network data traffic.
You can download the full report from the official website.