5G is growing fast around the globe. The amount of 5G subscriptions is projected to pass the 1.5 billion mark in 2023. This is an increase of 500 million in just one year. Mobile service providers around the world are investing billions in building the fifth generation of mobile communications (5G), and it is picking up speed faster than expected in Western Europe.

According to the Ericsson Mobility Report, the number of 5G subscriptions in Western Europe reached 69 million, which equals a market share of 13 percent.

Compared to Asia and North America, Western Europe, and the Middle East, Western Europe is still lagging behind. To illustrate, 41 percent of all mobile phones in the US are 5G contracts, followed by Northeast Asia (30 percent) and the Gulf Cooperation Council region (18 percent).

In its report, Ericsson states that the 5G market in Western Europe will develop more dynamically than in other regions. By the end of 2023, 143 million contracts are expected to be concluded in Western Europe. By the end of 2028, the market penetration is expected to reach 88 percent.

In general, 5G offers significantly higher data transmission rates than the previous UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) standards. Furthermore, the delay time (latency) is lower, so 5G can also be used for real-time applications such as remote management & control or telemedicine applications. 5G technology is also better equipped to connect mass audiences, such as during sports events or concerts, outperforming the far more limited 3G or 4G.

Globally, 5G usage is currently increasing significantly, especially in India. The number of 5G subscriptions in India is expected to account for 57 percent of mobile subscriptions in the country, making the Indian market the fastest-growing 5G region in the world.

At RFOptic, we provide 5G solutions (using fiber optic transmission) to meet the growing demand of our customers to support their 5G deployments and developments, such as active remote antennas for base stations, coax cables replacement in test facilities, and 5G telecommunication network testing. In addition, we identified the need for 5G as a DAS extension solution when the cable solution cannot meet the required system parameters.

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