Ericsson: Mobile research report, June 2023

Despite geopolitical challenges and macroeconomic slowdowns in some markets, fundamentally, 5G subscriptions are growing in every region of the world. Global mobile network data traffic continues to grow, with average monthly usage per smartphone expected to exceed 20GB worldwide by the end of 2023.

Globally, about 240 communications service providers (CSPs) have launched commercial 5G services, and about 35 have deployed or launched 5G standalone (SA). The most common 5G services launched by operators for consumers are enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), fixed wireless access (FWA), gaming, and some augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR)-based services such as training and education.

5G is also driving innovation in mobile service packaging. Bundled services that offer a variety of popular entertainment services, including TV, are becoming increasingly common among CSPs. Currently, about 58% of 5G service providers are operating this business in various forms.

A key advantage that 5G standalone offers is network slicing, and the report highlights how Singtel is leveraging this capability by offering full HD video streaming of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to 5G users with TV plans. Video on demand (VOD) streaming services are increasing their traffic share across user clusters as they progress from light to heavy users.

In summary, video has had a significant impact on data consumption and traffic in advanced mobile broadband markets. This trend is driven by intense and heavy users, who have the highest share of video consumption. When moving from light to heavy users, the share of video traffic changes across user groups, with the share of video generated by social media decreasing and the share of VOD streaming services increasing.

Regionally, the survey calculated that in North America, VOD streaming services are increasing their share of all video traffic from 4% to 23%. YouTube has the highest share of video traffic among all user groups, with the highest share among light and medium users. It is followed by Facebook and TikTok. In Europe, VOD streaming services are increasing their share from 1% to 17%. In both markets, Netflix's share among light and heavy users ranges from 1% to 5%, accounting for around 13% of heavy users' video traffic.