According to Ericsson’s Mobility Report, Sub-Saharan Africa will have 70 million 5G customers in five years. Although the numbers are small in comparison to other parts of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa is not falling behind in the race to 5G. From 2022 forward, significant volumes of 5G subscribers are projected, reaching 7% by 2026. By the end of 2021, 5G mobile subscribers will have surpassed 580 million, with around one million new subscriptions added everyday.
According to the study, these projections back up predictions that 5G will be the most widely used mobile generation. In fact, by 2026, mobile broadband subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa are anticipated to account for 76% of all mobile subscriptions.
If current trends continue, 5G subscribers will reach one billion two years before the 4G LTE deadline. In the meanwhile, 4G is holding the line, according to the report. By the end of 2020, it had polarised approximately 15% of mobile subscribers, with seven out of ten mobile subscriptions anticipated to adopt broadband by 2026.
Consumers will have added an average of 3.4 online services to their everyday online activity by 2025, according to the same source. The Covid-19 is one among the causes for this shift in behaviour. In comparison to pre-pandemic habits, people are expected to spend 10 hours each week online by 2025.
“With 4G more prevalent and the availability of 5G growing in sub-Saharan Africa, we envision a ‘new normality’ with online activities becoming more common by 2025,” Ericsson’s vice-president and head of West Africa and Morocco, Nora Wahby, was quoted as saying.
