Sub-Saharan Africa to reach 70 million 5G subscriptions by 2026 : Ericsson Mobility Report

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·        Ericsson’s 5G mobile subscriptions will exceed 580 million by the end of 2021. It is receiving an estimated one million new 5G mobile subscriptions every day

·        The forecast of its expansion contained in the Ericsson Mobility Report confirms the expectation that 5G will become the fastest adopted mobile generation

·        It is also expected that 5G subscription is expected to surpass a billion subscriptions two years ahead of the 4G LTE timeline for the same milestone

Ericsson’s 5G mobile subscriptions will exceed 580 million by the end of 2021. It is receiving an estimated one million new 5G mobile subscriptions every day. The forecast of its expansion contained in the Ericsson Mobility Report confirms the expectation that 5G will become the fastest adopted mobile generation. It is also expected that 5G subscription is expected to surpass a billion subscriptions two years ahead of the 4G LTE timeline for the same milestone.

Sub-Saharan African markets accounted for around 15 percent of mobile subscriptions for 4G at the end of 2020. Mobile broadband subscriptions in the region are predicted to increase by 76 percent by 2026.  It is reported that 5G volumes are not expected to grow in the region for 2021 but are likely to reach around 70 million 5G subscriptions in 2026.

.The latest Ericsson ConsumerLab report revealed key insights about Sub-Saharan African consumers.  The  subscribers  will increase  by the year 2025. This estimate was made  by surveying a sample of 1,000 to 2,000 respondents between the ages of 15–79.   When entering the “next normal, ” the Report  says that consumers in Africa will have added an average of 3.4 online services to their daily online activities. There will also be an increase in the time they spend online. It will increase  by 10 hours per week by 2025, in comparison to their pre-pandemic habits.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of online education at schools and universities as well as remote working has increased to 87 percent and 63 percent respectively. Online education and remote working are collectively expected to remain at a level of 51 percent, which is in good traction.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of online shopping stood at 28 percent if both online and at physical stores put together. During the COVID-19  pandemic, this figure increased to 47 percent. Consumers anticipate their habits around online shopping will remain at a level of 37 percent after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.