Technology
Visualizing the State of 5G Networks Worldwide
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Visualizing the State of 5G Networks Worldwide
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By 2025, the world will reach 1.8 billion 5G connections—led by Developed Asia and North America, two regions that could each see nearly half of mobile connections operating on 5G networks.
This sweeping rollout relies on infrastructure capacities, and many operators are buying in big to usher in 5G adoption. This infographic from Raconteur covers where we are on the roadmap towards 5G becoming mainstream, and which regions are leading the way in connectivity.
Commercial Launches of 5G Networks
From its earliest iterations to the Internet of Things, we’ve surpassed three generations of wireless networks. Now, 5G is at a tipping point.
5G is unique in that in order to actually start using the network, you need a device that works on it—unlike previous generations where they could simply switch over. Moreover, carriers need to invest in the infrastructure to optimize network access and the density of devices using it.
As more operators buy into the technology, the latter is finally beginning to happen in some areas. Here’s how the total numbers break down across the world, as of mid-September 2020:
- 397 operators are investing in 5G mobile or 5G fixed wireless access/home broadband networks
- 118 operators have announced the deployment of 5G within their live network
- 96 operators have announced 3GPP (protocols for mobile telecomms) 5G service launches
Major phone operators and even tech companies are behind accelerating this change, from Vodafone to Verizon—and most recently, Microsoft has entered the playing field.
Cross-Generational Mobile Connections, By Region
As Cisco highlights, there’s more room to grow yet. By 2023, North America will have the highest share of 5G networks, at 17% within the region.
| Region | ≤ 3G | 4G | 5G | LPWA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Pacific | 23% | 52% | 13% | 12% |
| Latin America | 37% | 50% | 2% | 16% |
| North America | 1% | 45% | 17% | 37% |
| Western Europe | 13% | 43% | 16% | 28% |
| Central & Eastern Europe | 31% | 50% | 2% | 16% |
| Middle East & Africa | 73% | 22% | 1% | 4% |
| World | 29% | 46% | 11% | 14% |
*Low-power wide-area (LPWA) networks are a generic type of network that can coexist across 2G, 3G, and 4G. Network shares may not add up due to rounding.
Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa could have the most catching up to do, with 73% of the region still operating on 3G networks or less in 2023. The good news? Commercial 5G trials in Nigeria may signal the potential of networks leapfrogging ahead.
Need for Speed
As the number of 5G networks tick up, there will be an undeniable boost to mobile and broadband speeds (Mbps) across regions by 2023. In particular, Asia Pacific will have the fastest broadband speeds at 157 Mbps while Western Europe will lead with 62 Mbps on mobile.
| Region | Mobile (2018) | Mobile (2023) | Broadband (2018) | Broadband (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Pacific | 14.3 | 45.7 | 62.8 | 157.1 |
| Latin America | 8.0 | 28.8 | 15.7 | 59.3 |
| North America | 21.6 | 58.4 | 56.6 | 141.8 |
| Western Europe | 23.6 | 62.4 | 45.6 | 123.0 |
| Central & Eastern Europe | 12.9 | 43.0 | 35.0 | 87.7 |
| Middle East & Africa | 6.9 | 24.8 | 9.7 | 41.2 |
| World | 13.2 | 43.9 | 45.9 | 110.4 |
Faster speeds is one of several factors catapulting the promise of 5G networks to unlock transformations across entire industries, from manufacturing to healthcare.
What further advancements could dial reach region’s share of 5G networks all the way up?
Technology
Ranked: Largest Semiconductor Foundry Companies by Revenue
Most of the 10 largest semiconductor foundries in the world, are headquartered in just three Asian countries, accounting for 90% of the entire industry’s revenue.
Ranked: Largest Semiconductor Foundry Companies by Revenue
They’re in our phones, cars, planes, and even fridges.
Semiconductor chips have become critical for the modern way of life, and the biggest semiconductor foundry companies rake in billions of dollars from widespread demand.
This chart shows the largest semiconductor foundry companies by their percentage of global revenues in Q1 2023, using data sourced from Trendforce.
Semiconductor Foundry Companies by Revenue
At the top of the list and dwarfing every other company by revenue share is TSMC which earned 60% (or nearly $17 billion) of the entire industry’s revenue in Q1 2023.
Founded in 1987, TSMC is a pure-play foundry that has become Taiwan’s largest company and manufactures products for a host of clients including Apple, NVIDIA, and AMD.
| Rank | Company | Country | Revenue (Q1 2023, USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TSMC | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $16,735M |
| 2 | Samsung | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $3,446M |
| 3 | GlobalFoundries | 🇺🇸 US | $1,841M |
| 4 | UMC | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $1,784M |
| 5 | SMIC | 🇨🇳 China | $1,462M |
| 6 | HuaHong Group | 🇨🇳 China | $845M |
| 7 | Tower Semiconductor | 🇮🇱 Israel | $356M |
| 8 | PSMC | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $332M |
| 9 | VIS | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $269M |
| 10 | DB Hitek | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $234M |
| Other | $556M | ||
| Global Total | $27,860M |
Note: Revenue based on the following conversion rates: USD 1 = WON 1,276; USD 1 = NTD 30.4.
Well behind TSMC in foundry revenues is integrated device manufacturer Samsung, the biggest company in South Korea, which made $3.4 billion (12.4% of the industry’s revenue) from its semiconductor manufacturing business.
GlobalFoundries from the U.S., UMC from Taiwan and SMIC from China round out the top five, with each taking home around 6% of industry’s revenue share in Q1 2023. The former spun out from AMD’s manufacturing arm when the company went fabless in 2009.
Industry concentration is apparent in semiconductors. For example, the top 10 semiconductor foundry companies account for 98% of the entire industry’s revenue. Furthermore, 90% of the market is dominated by companies in just three Asian countries: Taiwan, South Korea, and China.
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