For the first time in history, 4G subscriptions worldwide are decreasing compared to the previous year: this is the most interesting information contained in the new edition of the Mobility Report from Ericsson, the Swedish company which, having finished its adventure in the consumer world, is among the world leaders in telecommunications infrastructure. According to the document, in 2023 4G subscriptions were 12 million fewer than in 2022, although it is important to note that compared to the total it is a bit like a drop in the ocean.
In fact, there are 8.5 billion SIMs currently active throughout the world, 5.1 billion of which (around 61%) are 4G. 5G narrowly misses the 20% market share target: with just under 1.6 billion SIMs compatible with new generation technology, you have to settle for 19%. However, it is quite clear that we are now in a phase of strong growth: 154 million new subscribers were added in the fourth quarter of 2023 alone. This is also thanks to the decreasing subscription prices and the ever-increasing number of operators who have updated their infrastructures (we have reached more than 290).
They have been around the world for some time now more SIMs than human beings, and the trend shows no sign of reversing – in fact, it’s easy to imagine that the gap will continue to grow as we move forward. India is primarily responsible for the growth, with 10 million in Q4 2023 alone, followed by China (4 million) and the United States (3 million).
In general, High-speed internet is increasingly widespread among cellular subscriptions. Almost 90% of the 8.5 billion SIMs, approximately 7.6 billion, have a connection that falls within the definition of mobile broadband. That’s a 5% increase over the previous year. In the last quarter alone, 90 million subscriptions with this type of connectivity were added.