The company also forecasts that the average 5G speed will be 575 megabits per second and will deliver more dynamic mobile infrastructures for AI and emerging IoT applications. Those could include autonomous cars, smart cities, connected health, and immersive video.
Roland Acra, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Cisco said, “What we are seeing from our research is a continuous rise in internet users, devices, connections, and more demand on the network than we could have imagined. The insights and knowledge gained by our Annual Internet Report are helping global service providers prepare their networks for the ongoing growth in connections and envision the greatest opportunities to capitalise on their technology innovations and strategic investments.”
Kester Mann, director of consumer and connectivity at CCS Insight, called the report a “fascinating projection” of the future, with consumers and businesses benefitting from wider coverage, faster speeds and more reliable performance in just three years.
He added, “5G is an important topic in the report, demonstrating the strong progress made by the industry over the past few years. For the UK, it charts a remarkable turnaround from laggard in 4G to leader in 5G. It was the 53rd nation to launch 4G – behind others such as Guam, Azerbaijan and Kiribati – but is among the most advanced and ambitious 5G nations. By the end of February 2020, all four UK mobile operators will have launched commercial 5G services with smartphones, a feat perhaps matched only by the US.”
The Annual Internet Report is a global, regional and country level forecast that assesses digital transformation. It covers fixed broadband, Wi-Fi, and mobile networking. The report can be accessed here.
