5G will account for more than half of all mobile connections in North America within five years, according to a new 5G connections forecast from GSMA Intelligence report.

In “Mobile Economy North America 2020,” the research firm predicts there will be 426 million mobile connections by 2025, with 51% of them 5G. By the end of 2022, 5G connections in North America are expected to exceed 100 million.

The research firm expects consumers to gravitate to 5G due to increased investments from mobile operators that should foster increased efficiency and innovative services, as well as a variety of prices for devices that will enable more consumers to afford them.

Reviewing 2019, GSMA Intelligence said that mobile technologies and services contributed just over $1 trillion to the North American economy, representing 4.8% of the total Gross Domestic Product, while supporting more than 2 million direct and indirect jobs and more than $98 billion in taxes paid.

“5G will enable a new era of connectivity, resulting in an unprecedented
demand for data and digital services,” said Mats Granryd, GSMA director general, in a prepared statement about the 5G connections forecast. “The report confirms that operators in North
America will continue to be among the world leaders when it comes to 5G
deployment. Although the rate of 5G adoption was lower than originally
anticipated due to the pandemic, we don’t expect it to impact the growth
of connections in the long term.”

Other report projections:

• North America will pass 340 million mobile subscribers by 2025.
• Operator capex investment will reach $337 between 2019 and 2025.
• Operator revenues will grow to $294 billion by 2025