5G networks still set to arrive this year

Superfast 5G networks are still set to launch far earlier than expected, new research has claimed.

The Ericsson Mobility Report expects the first commercial 5G networks to go live in late 2018, with the first compatible smartphones available in 2019. All major US operators are expected to launch 5G by then, while it is likely the UK will have to wait until at least 2020.

However UK users may not have the same appetite for the new networks, with the report claiming that Western Europe will lag behind North America and Asia in both 5G rollout and adoption.

By 2023, Ericsson predicts there will be one billion compatible devices in use, with 5G networks accounting for a fifth of all mobile traffic and 12 per cent of all mobile subscriptions. 5G will account for half of all mobile connections in the US and a third in North East Asia, but just a fifth in Western Europe.

Europe 5G adoption

Ericsson says intense competition and strict regulations could be a contributor to this widening gap, while others have claimed market fragmentation and a continued focus on 4G could be to blame.

In the UK, operators have called for greater spectrum availability, access to dark fibre and a favourable planning and regulatory environment.

Fredrik Jejdling, Head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson said: “This change will only come about through the combined efforts of industry players and regulators aligning on spectrum, standards and technology.”

At present there are 7.9 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide, with 98 million added over the past three months, and traffic has risen by more than a half over the past year. This will increase eightfold within five years, amounting to 107 exabytes a month.

During the same time frame, the number of IoT connections is expected to increase by nearly a third each year to 3.5 billion, driven by large scale deployments – especially in China – and the advent of massive cellular technologies like NB-IoT.

Ericsson says there are more than 60 cellular IoT networks now in operation, connecting to the same core network as 4G. In North America, industrial applications such as logistics and fleet management are the key use cases, while in China it is smart cities and smart agriculture.

A separate report, published yesterday by Digital Catapult, painted a rosy picture of 5G development in the UK thanks to its startup and research capabilities. 

Want to find out more about 5G? Check out our dedicated 5G hub   

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media. 

Latest in Phone & Communications
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
Privacy Hero II
I tested this secure router and the bundled year of VPN service feels mostly like a marketing exercise
ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola
I reviewed the ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola and while it's not as fast as its predecessor, it's the superior phone in so many ways
FRITZ!Box 7690 WiFi 7 Router
FRITZ!Box tries to embrace both business and home customers with its new 7690 router
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal
Other than screen reflection, I’m still looking for the downside to the Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal tablet
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849
Carrying the Unihertz Tank Pad 8849 provided me with a full workout
Latest in News
Google Gemini Flash 2.0 Images
I tried Gemini's new AI image generation tool - here are 5 ways to get the best art from Google's Flash 2.0
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Eurocom Raptor X18
At $15,000, this massive 256GB RAM laptop makes Apple's MacBook Pro look affordable, tiny and very, very slow
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all