A recent analysis of 5G adoption/penetration changes highlights diverse experiences in a subset of major countries worldwide

Based on its own market data tracking the progress of 34 countries and markets worldwide in deploying 5G technology and how commercially ambitious their operators are*, a global management consultancy has released some findings.

First, according to the data analyzed, 5G penetration continues to grow, with more than 30% of the population of 10 countries now using 5G. Also, 5G adoption has outpaced 4G in some countries analyzed, wherein six countries had 30% penetration after five years.

Second, there has been “ongoing uncertainty in how to best monetize 5G technology”. Some 53% of all countries market data analyzed had seen declines in their 5G success (as measured by the methodology stated here).

Other findings

Third, while 5G penetration grew, the data also showed that commercialization had slowed. Also:

  • US data showed that the country was in number one spot due to high 5G availability and penetration in addition to ambitious commercial offerings from its operators, including several advanced APIs, and emerging digital ecosystems. The data also showed:
    • Australia has high penetration despite slower commercialization. The country’s strong infrastructure and focus on private networks have kept it competitive.
    • Lower down the ranking is Spain, whose telcos’ strategic partnerships and investment in network APIs have enabled successful 5G commercialization among Europe countries whose data were collected for analysis.
    • Singapore ranked similarly to Spain, noted for “benefiting from its strategic focus on digital readiness and low-band deployment” in its smart city infrastructure and digital services integration. It has been deemed as a regional leader based on the said data.
    • Finland was also noted for achieving “good penetration with a mature digital ecosystem and strong 5G coverage”.
  • Data for South-east Asia showed some trends:
    • Malaysia: Noted for achieving more than 80% population coverage in three years, the country is now pursuing a second 5G network to foment competition and accelerate the 5G penetration rate, currently at below 55%.
    • Thailand: The main operators in Thailand have launched on all three band classes and are innovating there, with most introducing network APIs, including advanced connectivity.
    • Indonesia: Data shows that the 5G adoption is at 2% since the launch in 2021, due to “insufficient density of base station and fiber optic networks along with limited frequency availability.”

According to Sarovar Agarwal, Asia Pacific co-lead (Communications, Media, and Technology), Kearney, the firm that released its findings: “Southeast Asian markets are extremely dynamic in their 5G adoption, and the consumer stands to benefit across markets.”

*and also considering the maturity of telecom markets; national socioeconomic factors, and including only operators that explicitly declare an active commercial offering — excluding trials or websites that merely list potential use cases. Data is sourced exclusively from publicly available operator websites. Only operators with significant market presence are considered. The Index tracks 34 countries and does not include all nations with 5G.