5G connections to grow to 5.5 billion by 2030: GSMA Intelligence

NEW DELHI: The number of fifth-generation connections reached 1.6 billion at the end of last year, and it is projected to rise to 5.5 billion by 2030, according to the ‘Mobile Economy 2024’ report by GSMA Intelligence.

“5G connections are expected to represent over half (51%) of mobile connections by 2029, rising to 56% by the end of the decade – making 5G the dominant connectivity technology,” it said in the report.

The number of connections on legacy networks 2G and 3G will continue to decline in the coming years as users migrate to 4G and 5G, leading to an increasing number of network sunsets, according to GSMA Intelligence. It estimates that 143 legacy networks are scheduled to be retired between end-2023 and 2030, with around 50% of these planned by the end of 2024.