Ericsson said that 5G will account for 32% of the total subscriptions in the MENA region in 2028
5G subscribers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are forecast to reach 290 million in 2028, up from 22 million in 2022, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report.
The Swedish vendor noted that 5G technology will account for 32% of the total subscriptions in the region in 2028. This forecasted growth is a result of more countries issuing licenses and spectrum to enable 5G network investment.
“Communication service providers are continuing to invest in 4G and are predicted to see subscriptions rise by 4% annually from 730 million in 2022 to 880 million in 2028, to account for 60% of the total subscriptions base in the region at the end of the period,” the report stated.
“In the MENA region, data traffic growth will similarly be driven up as more subscribers are transitioned to 4G, and current momentum in 5G coverage increases uptake, in addition to attractive service offerings and more affordable smartphones.” It added.
The report also noted that total data traffic is forecast to rise by 27% annually between 2022 and 2028 with monthly data usage per smartphone at 37 GB at the end of the period, adding that various industrial use cases for 5G will also contribute to a rise in total data traffic.
Hakan Cervell, vice president and head of Saudi Arabia and Egypt at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: “In the June 2023 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, we see exponential growth in the number of subscriptions in both the 4G and 5G technologies. Service providers are uniquely positioned to support the digital transformation of a wide range of industries with evolving cellular technologies, as they enable industries to become truly data driven, efficient and sustainable to further contribute to a better society.”
In a separate release, Ericsson said that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, will see 5G subscriptions grow from 13 to 70 million between 2022 and 2028, accounting for 86% of the total subscriber base at the end of the period.
Accounting for 73% of total subscriptions currently, 4G is forecast to decline by 29% annually as subscribers in the GCC countries increasingly move subscriptions to 5G, and are offered various services such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
Ericsson said that around 240 operators have launched commercial 5G services at a global level and about 35 have deployed or launched 5G standalone (SA). More than 100 operators, comprising about 40% of FWA service providers, currently offer FWA over 5G. By 2028, 5G is estimated to account for almost 80% of all FWA connections, Ericsson added.
