TechForge

30th November 2021

Analysts from Juniper Research forecast that 5G will account for 77 percent of global operator revenues by 2026.

The analysts found that 5G service revenue will reach $600 billion by 2026.

Despite the ongoing chip shortage, Juniper claims that 5G adoption has been driven by strong uptake of capable devices and “attractive” subscription pricing models.

Charles Bowman, co-author of the research, commented:

“Device vendors are capitalising on faster networks to add mobile connectivity to new consumer devices, and operators must respond by enabling users to access 5G across multiple devices under a single subscription; allowing subscribers to conveniently manage data.”

5G adoption will support exponential growth in data consumption over the coming years.

The researchers predict that cellular data will grow from 720 exabytes in 2021 to an incredible 2,900 exabytes by 2026—an increase of 300 percent over just five years.

Demand for data will be driven through 5G adoption and substantial growth in cellular IoT devices.

By 2026, Juniper predicts the number of cellular IoT devices will reach six billion. If the forecast is correct, the number of cellular IoT devices will exceed the number of global smartphones for the first time.

A full copy of the research can be found here (paywall)

(Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash)

Looking to revamp your digital transformation strategy? Learn more about the Digital Transformation Week event taking place virtually 30 November – 1 December 2021 and discover key strategies for making your digital efforts a success.

About the Author

Senior Editor

Ryan Daws is a senior editor at TechForge Media with over a decade of experience in crafting compelling narratives and making complex topics accessible. His articles and interviews with industry leaders have earned him recognition as a key influencer by organisations like Onalytica. Under his leadership, publications have been praised by analyst firms such as Forrester for their excellence and performance. Connect with him on X (@gadget_ry), Bluesky (@gadgetry.bsky.social), and/or Mastodon (@gadgetry@techhub.social)

Related

Nokia and Arelion expand fibre spectrum by 21% in 500km optical trial

9th October 2026

FCC details D2D spectrum proposals and approves SpaceX satellite network

8th October 2026

AT&T agrees wholesale fibre venture with GIP and CPP Investments

7th October 2026

TM Forum and Accenture launch AI trust framework for telecoms

7th October 2026

Join our Community

Subscribe now to get all our premium content and latest tech news delivered straight to your inbox

Popular

Customer engagement and billing are vital to a CSP’s success

11759 view(s)

T-Mobile and Ericsson test AI-RAN on live 5G Advanced network

1623 view(s)

AST SpaceMobile targets beta D2D service with next BlueBird launch

1608 view(s)

Ericsson adds AI in RAN software for 5G network optimisation

1164 view(s)

Subscribe

All our premium content and latest tech news delivered straight to your inbox

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.