As per the findings of Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) most recent study on 5G usage, more than half of American consumers have accessed 5G networks for the first time in 2022. According to GWS, this number increased from just 43% in 2021 to 61% this year. This indicates that 42% more users used 5G networks in 2022 compared to 2021, a huge increase from the 7% increase in 5G access the year before in the single digits (2020-2021).
In 2022, Customers Used 5G Networks at a 42 Percent Higher Rate
Every age group is now accessing 5G networks at higher rates, according to the study, which combines data from independent consumer polling and insights based on over 50 million daily data points. This is probably because 5G coverage is now so widely available in the U.S. Older generations experienced dramatic leaps in access in 2022, with approximately 50% of those users accessing 5G networks. Access rates for Gen Z, those between the ages of 18 and 24, increased from 50% in 2021 to 68% in 2022, while access rates for those over 55 nearly doubled from 25% to 46%. Although an amazing increase of more than 35% between 2020 and 2022, 5G coverage currently covers 83% of consumers in urban regions, according to GWS, but it's the growth in suburban and rural areas that should be celebrated.
As per the company, the expansion of coverage outside of urban regions, which has increased to 76% in suburban areas (almost doubling 2020 coverage rates) and 65% in rural areas (more than doubling 2020 coverage rates), has overshadowed this rise [in urban areas]. This illustrates how the digital divide is narrowing as more places around the nation gain access to technology.
The study also showed a surge in excitement for the technology, with 61% of customers saying they consciously bought a new phone with 5G connectivity and nearly a third saying they did so because of its 5G capacity. This is in addition to the general expansion of 5G coverage and availability. When these phones are in people's hands, they start using them more frequently, especially for social media, gaming, and lifestyle apps. As per GWS data, users of 5G smartphones reached an average of 312 minutes each day, which is 37 minutes more than users of earlier devices and amounts to a startling nine more days of usage per year.
As per their statistics, 5G has not only arrived but has also firmly woven itself into the fabric of our daily lives, according to Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions. It is gratifying to see considerable advances in previously unreachable locations and among different age groups, even while there is still work to be done to ensure that every square inch of the country can use the network.
