Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson says it expects global 5G mobile subscriptions to surpass a billion in 2022, helped by higher adoption in China and North America.
A weaker global economy and the uncertainties caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lowered its estimate for 2022 by around 100 million.
Ericsson, which competes with China’s Huawei and Finland’s Nokia, is a leading supplier of mobile gear, including 5G.
5G subscriptions are estimated to reach 4.4 billion in 2027.
The growth in 4G users is expected to peak this year and then decline as subscribers migrate to 5G. Ericsson had earlier expected 4G subscriptions to peak last year.