Page 80 - SAMENA Trends - August-September 2025

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

4G Network Reaches 7.6 Billion People as 5G Penetration Hits 54%

Fourth-generation (4G) technology has
emerged as the most dominant network
across the globe, with about 7.6 billion
people now enjoying the service. GSMA
revealed this in its State of Mobile Internet
Connectivity report, where it also disclosed
that 5G now covers more than half of the
world’s population. In Nigeria, data from
the Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC) showed that 4G network has reached
50.8 per cent of the population, followed by
2G, which covers 38.6 per cent; 3G, 7.38 per
cent and 5G, 3.17 per cent in the country.
GSMA further disclosed that while almost
150 million additional people were covered
by 4G networks for the first time in 2024,
the rate of deployment has been slowing
over the past few years as operators
face diminishing returns on investment.
“Almost 7.6 billion people worldwide
now have 4G coverage, equivalent to 93 data usage and improvements in network owning an Internet-enabled phone (stage
per cent of the global population. The quality, but large gaps persist. It said that 3). It was observed that phone ownership
majority of network investment continues with more consumers migrating to 4G is typically followed by mobile Internet
to be in 5G deployments. 5G coverage and especially 5G, average data traffic adoption (stage 4), and regular (stage 5)
has now reached more than half the per user continues to increase, reaching and diverse (stage 6) mobile Internet use.
world’s population (54 per cent or 4.4 almost 16 GB per connection per month in GSMA observed that in the majority of
billion people) with more than 700 million 2024. However, it noted that there remain survey countries, the largest drop-off tends
additional people covered in 2024.” The significant differences by region and level to take place between mobile Internet
telecom body observed that the sunsetting of economic development. It revealed awareness (stage 2) and Internet-enabled
of legacy networks continues, but not in that traffic per connection reached more phone ownership (stage 3), particularly
all countries. It noted that, given declining than 25 GB in high-income countries, for rural respondents and women. The
traffic on 2G and 3 G networks, combined compared to 14 GB in LMICs. In terms of telecom body said, for example, in Nigeria,
with the financial burden of maintaining network quality, GSMA said the consumer 78 per cent of rural respondents are aware
legacy infrastructure and the need to use experience on mobile networks continued of mobile Internet (stage 2), but only 39 per
spectrum efficiently, many operators have to see significant improvement in 2024, cent own an Internet-enabled phone (stage
either shut down or are in the process of with global average download speeds 3) – a drop-off of 39 percentage points.
sunsetting 2G and 3 G networks. According increasing from 51 to 64 Mbps. While This drop-off is also significant for urban
to it, by the end of 2024, there were 169 average download speeds in high-income respondents but smaller, at 24 percentage
2G and 3G sunsets in 75 countries, nearly countries reached more than 120 Mbps, they points. Similarly, women, who are aware of
three-quarters of which were shut down remain below 30 Mbps in LDCs, LLDCs and the mobile Internet, are less likely to own
following the launch of 5G. It, however, SIDS, and stand at 44 Mbps in other LMICs. an Internet-enabled phone than their male
said the speed of sunsetting differs by The report further revealed that users drop counterparts. However, once people own
region. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, off at each stage of the journey to mobile an Internet-enabled phone (stage 3), most
3G is still the dominant technology, with Internet use, with larger drop-offs seen use mobile Internet (stage 4). Therefore,
only one country (South Africa) currently in certain countries and among specific focusing efforts on improving Internet-
planning to sunset both its 2G and 3G demographics. People tend to experience enabled phone ownership among rural
networks. Sunsets are conditional on common milestones on the journey to populations and women who are already
enabling spectrum policies and the ability adopting and using the mobile Internet. aware of it (at stage 2) can help close the
of operators to migrate consumers and This journey typically starts with owning mobile Internet urban-rural and gender
businesses to 4G or 5G devices. GSMA a handset (stage 1), progresses to being gaps in countries where there is a similar
noted that LMICs continue to see increased aware of mobile internet (stage 2) and then trend.

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