The long-hyped promise of 5G has now largely become a reality, with widespread deployment of 5G networks by communication service providers worldwide. While 4G networks remain sufficient for many users' internet needs, the adoption of 5G technology continues to accelerate. Countries aiming to maintain their competitive edge in the global economy have widely implemented 5G infrastructure, making it available to a significant portion of their citizens. This next-generation technology delivers on its promises, offering expanded spectrum for wireless communication, consistent gigabit-plus connection speeds, and noticeably lower latency compared to 4G. The enhanced reliability and flexibility of 5G have begun to enable new applications across various sectors, from smart cities to industrial IoT. As 5G coverage expands, attention is now shifting towards the development and potential of 6G technology, with early research and standardization efforts already underway.

The new 5G network has the potential to open a world of possibilities for businesses and consumers alike with greater speed and improved connectivity. Wireless technology can play a crucial role in accelerating the adoption of self-driving cars, augmented reality, extended reality, virtual reality, and other devices connected to the Internet of Things. According to certain estimates, 5G technology could generate 22.3 million jobs and contribute USD13.2 trillion to the global economy by 2035. With the rapid adoption of IoT devices and advanced mobile broadband technology, the demand for 5G networks is growing fast. Global 5G connection reached 429 million in Q2, jumping 41% from 305 million in Q1, according to data from Omdia.

As per the VIAVI Solutions report, the number of cities with 5G networks has reached to 1,336 globally since the past year despite the pandemic. Sixty-one countries worldwide have deployed commercial 5G networks since January 2020, the majority of which are from Asia. Overwhelming subscriber appetite for fast speed and enhanced connectivity is the driving factor for the expansion of 5G networks in Asian countries. However, China and the USA are significantly ahead of other nations in bandwidth expansion and 5G rollout.

Here are the top ten countries with the largest 5g network in the world

1.    Vietnam

Vietnam is among the first countries to adopt 5G deployment for their commercialization plan. The growth has been such that Vietnam’s 5G market is expected to grow steadily, with the market valued at USD 822 million in 2023 and projected to reach USD 2.1 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 17.1%. Vietnam has long stated its plan to provide efficient 5G coverage by 2030, aiming to offer high-speed internet connections at low cost, according to the Ministry of Information and Communication.

Vietnam has the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia, which hit $23 billion in value in 2022 and is purposefully set to achieve over $50 billion by 2025, largely driven by a thriving e-commerce sector. This growth is supported by increased efforts to drive digitalization, with the digital economy’s gross merchandise value (GMV) expected to grow by 31% from 2022 to 2025. In 2022, the country planned to reduce the number of 2G subscribers from 24 million to 5-7 million to free up more bandwidth for 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. By 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) is expected to stop extending the licenses for 2G and 3G, aiming to completely phase out 2G by September 2045. Their 2025 objective is to popularize 4G/5G network services and smartphones..

2.    United States

5G coverage is expected to reach 75% of the US population, by 2025, which is up from 13% in 2020, with the expansion of the use of the mid-band spectrum in urban and suburban areas. Major mobile operators such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are focused on deploying mid-band 5G through 2021 and 2022. While AT&T and Verizon have been strengthening their high band millimetre wave and low 5G offering, a new entrant like Dish is planning to commence its commercial 5G services from 2022. According to Ericsson report, around 195 million 5G subscriptions can be expected by 2026, and the technology is anticipated to occupy 71.5% of the entire US mobile market by 2029. The economic benefits will be shared across rural communities and minority groups in urban areas to bridge the digital gap to ensure access. As per the Cellular Telecommunication Industry Association (CTIA) estimates, the rapid growth with the expansion of 5G technology could drive USD275 billion in investment and lead to USD500 billion in economic growth. In addition, FCC has also auctioned or planned to auction several mid-band spectrum bands such as 2.5GHz, 3.5 GHz, and 3.7-4.2 GHz because of their ideal nature of the ability to carry heavy data flow, while traveling significant distances.

3.    South Korea

5G market of South Korea falls among the most advanced and competitive market in the world. The country was the first to launch commercial 5G services in 2019 and has since effectively penetrated the market. South Korea, one of the early adopters of 5G in 2018, continues to set benchmarks with high-speed and low latency. SK Telecom, LG Uplus, and KT, South Korea’s 3 mobile operators, improved their 5G speed and experience score in 2022. Besides, immense support from the South Korean government to expand nationwide 5G coverage to 70% by 2025 is expected to accelerate the South Korea 5G market.

With the country providing the fastest average internet connection in the world, a quarter of South Korean mobile users have already subscribed to 5G. Top South Korean telecom operators plan to commercialize new 5G technologies such as millimetre-wave 5G, standalone versions of 5G networks, etc. while making a net investment of USD22 billion through 2022. Besides, South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT has planned to make available a total of 600 megahertz in the 28 GHz band and 100 MHz in the 4.7 GHz band throughout the country.

4.    United Kingdom

Many UK mobile network operators started commercializing their 5G networks in 2019, but their adoption expanded with the wider availability of 5G-enabled handsets on the market. Currently, 5G penetration in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales stands at approximately 19.3%, 7.8%, 5.3%, and 4.4%, respectively. Everything Everywhere (EE) launched the UK’s first 5G service in May 2019 in some parts of London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, and Manchester and plans to cover the whole country by 2028. Additionally, another major telecom operator, O2, has successfully rolled out 5G services in over 180 cities across the UK. The introduction of various 5G phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, S20+ 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro, Galaxy Fold 5G, and others is also expanding 5G coverage throughout the country. Furthermore, the increased adoption of electric vehicles in the country is set to drive 5G coverage in the coming years.

5.    Spain

Spanish multinational telecommunications company, Telefónica has planned to make 5G available to 90% of the country’s population by 2022. The company is already providing 5G services to 80% of its population, spanning its services across 1300 towns and cities. Other telecom operators such as Orange, Vodafone, MasMovil have also launched their 5G commercial services in large cities to expand the coverage. Spain has prioritized 5G development in the post-pandemic recovery strategy by earmarking nearly USD171 billion to expand the digitization plans.

6.    Canada

Although 5G is an emerging technology in Canada, telecom operators are actively working on expanding the wireless network coverage throughout the country at an impressive rate. Mobile speeds in Canada have consistently been in the top ten globally for download speed, but the new 5G technology has made the network 205% faster than 4G. As per statistics, Bell was the fastest operator in the country in Q4 2020, with a median speed of 228.99 Mbps. British Columbia has the largest number of cities with commercially available 5G services, but Montreal has the fastest 5G download speed. Roger Communications network covers 97% of Canada, which has invested over USD4 billion in 2019 and USD2 billion in 2020. Roger 5G services are available in Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto. The growing internet penetration and the increasing need to boost innovation to keep up with the technological advancements are further boosting expansion of 5G in Canada.

7.    Australia

Australian 5G network is anticipated to add up to USD2000 in GDP per person post the first decade of the network rollout. Australia’s largest telecom operator, Telstra has already deployed over 2000 5G base stations, covering 41% of the country’s population. The telco aims to cover 75% of Australia’s population to provide 5G services across the country. Australia has median 5G download speed of 283.56 Mbps, considered as fastest mobile speeds in the world. Australian telecom operators are spearheading efforts to provide outstanding commercial 5G services to the population. Optus is currently taking the lead in delivering the fastest 5G in the country with a download speed of 309.86 Mbps. Telstra has become the first telco to provide a Gigabit-class LTE service coupled with a 4-layer MIMO technique and advanced modulation schemes for the best network availability.

8.    Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of 5G deployment with an aim to expand digital infrastructure with private companies. The Saudi Telecom Company now has the biggest 5G coverage with a median speed of 370.12 Mbps. Saudi Arabia’s stc Group has recently announced the largest expansion of the 5G network in history, which is a step that will help expand the existing network to cover more than 75 cities and governorates in the country. With the faster rollout of 5G, Saudi Arabia plans to support 45 million new “Internet of things” devices, creating a market worth USD12 billion by 2030. 5G is crucial to Saudi Arabia’s aspirations of becoming a global leader in smart city development, an essential part of Saudi vision 2030. Note that in 2022, the proportion of mobile sites with 5G services, surpassed 90% of locations in major cities, covering a significant milestone. There is no deny that Saudi Arabia’s 5G experience is considered the best in GCC.

9.    Italy

For more than two years, 5G has become a commercial reality in Italy, with many network operators providing outstanding services to citizens and businesses alike. TIM has spread its 5G services in Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence, and other regions and plans to cover 120 cities by the end of 2021, including 245 industrial districts. Vodafone has activated its 5G services in many areas and covers almost 90% population in Milan. Italian operator Wind Tre has started its operations in among 59 provinces and eight provincial capitals covering around 79% of the Italian population. For the further rollout of 5G, the Italian government has further planned to launch a USD4 billion investment scheme connecting 6.2 million people to the network.

10.  Finland

Finland is a pioneer in 5G technology and the first country to deploy 5G. The front-runner in 5G research and development, Finland has made 5G available in various frequency bands such as 00 MHz, 3,400–3,800 MHz, and 26 GHz, identified as pioneer frequency bands in Europe. Finnish telecom operator Elisa has a 5G network coverage across 100 locations, covering around 50% of the population. More than 1.8 million Finnish households gained access to hi-speed 5G technology by the end of 2020, with 3000 mobile network operators spread across 109 municipalities. Finland’s strong history as a prominent player in network technology gives the country a strong network infrastructure. So, while the world still grapples with 5G technology, the country is already performing R&D for 6G.

All 5G Networks Are Not Equal

After years of successful deployment, 5G is now gaining significant momentum. Telecom operators around the world have invested significantly to offer the fastest, most reliable, and most extensive 5G coverage. For future reference, the four major mobile carriers in the United States are building their 5G networks in different ways. AT&T has both a limited mmWave network and a more broadly available low-band network. The same goes for T-Mobile, which just switched on its low-band network around the nation to go along with a handful of higher-end service areas. Finally, Sprint operates on the mid-band for now, while Verizon has focused on mmWave technology.

Current 5G networks mostly utilize NSA EN-DC (TDD in n78 and FDD in n28) and DSS (FDD in n28, n1 and n3 bands. However, the real 5G and 5G+ is coming. Reliability, response times, and interactivity will be boosted. However, SA 5G network deployment may take some months to actually take off on a large scale.