Infographic: 5G Technologies Begin to Take Shape

5G smartphone sales take the top spot as users and companies demand faster internet.

Date Published:

May 24, 2022

Author:

Carlos M. Gonzalez

Tags:

Electrical Equipment and Appliance Manufacturing Technology and Society

Since its initial launch in 2019, 5G networks promised a future of fast speeds and low latency internet. Now, the technology is beginning to take shape. The beginning of 2022 marked the first time since its debut that 5G smartphone sales surpassed 4G/LTE phones. Telecommunication companies have developed 5G services in several countries since 2020. The trade group 5G Americas predicts 5G subscriptions will reach almost 3 billion worldwide by 2024.

While the future of 5G is promising, the deployment of these networks is still in development. Not all download speeds are the same everywhere, as the frequency used by the operator, the built-up environment, and the proximity to infrastructure can impact performance. The fastest 5G connections are found in South Korea, with an average download speed of 380.5 Mbps. In Europe, Finland leads the way with 221.4 Mbps. In the U.S., the average download speeds are 110.6 Mbps.

Learn more about the state of 5G in the charts below.