Ericsson Mobility Report: Indonesia Edition
- 4 billion 5G subscriptions are forecast for the end of 2027 globally equaling around half of all mobile subscriptions at that time
- South East Asia and Oceania region will see data traffic per smartphone growing at the fastest rate globally by 2027
- 5G subscriptions expected to touch 15 million at the end of 2021 in South East Asia and Oceania

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) global insights reveal an almost 300-fold increase in mobile data traffic since 2011, the year in which Ericsson Mobility Report was first published. The findings, based on current and historical network data, are included in the special ten-year edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report November 2021. The report looks back at some of the key trends and events that have shaped the last decade, as well as revealing the latest forecasts toward 2027.
The premise that 5G will become the fastest deployed mobile generation to date is enhanced with an updated estimate of close to 660 million 5G subscriptions by the end of this year. The increase is due to stronger than expected demand in China and North America, driven partly by decreasing prices of 5G devices. There was also a net addition of 98 million 5G subscriptions globally in Q3 2021, compared to 48 million new 4G subscriptions. At the end of 2021, it is estimated that 5G networks will cover more than two billion people.
According to the latest forecasts, 5G is on track to become the dominant mobile access technology by subscriptions globally by 2027. By this time, 5G is expected to account for around 50 percent of all mobile subscriptions worldwide – covering 75 percent of the world’s population and carrying 62 percent of the global smartphone traffic.
Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson, says: “Mobile communication has had an incredible impact on society and business over the last ten years. When we look ahead to 2027, mobile networks will be more integral than ever in how we interact, live and work. Our latest Ericsson Mobility Report shows that the pace of change is accelerating, with technology playing a crucial role.”
Since 2011, the deployment of 4G LTE networks has been pivotal in generating 5.5 billion new smartphone connections worldwide, contributing to the market availability of more than 20,000 different 4G device models. The report indicates a much earlier technology lifecycle of 5G devices, with 5G handsets today accounting for 23 percent of global volumes, compared to 8 percent of 4G handsets at the corresponding point in its lifecycle.
This is helping to fuel an exponential growth of mobile data traffic. Mobile network data traffic was up 42 percent year-on-year in Q3 2021 at approximately 78EB, including traffic generated by Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services. In Q3, more mobile data traffic was generated than all mobile traffic ever generated up until the end of 2016. New forecasts reveal that total mobile network data traffic is likely to reach 370EB by the end of 2027.
FWA connections are forecast to grow almost threefold – from 88 million by the end of 2021, to around 230 million in 2027. Almost half of these connections are expected to be carried over 5G networks.
Mobile subscriptions in the South East Asia and Oceania region have exceeded 1.1 billion, with Indonesia being second globally when it comes to net additions during Q3 2021. Indonesia saw net additions of 23 million during the quarter. 5G subscriptions in the region are expected to reach close to 15 million at the end of 2021 and grow strongly over the next few years, with a forecast total of about 560 million in 2027. South East Asia and Oceania will see data traffic per smartphone increasing at the fastest rate globally, reaching 46GB per month in 2027 – a CAGR of 34 percent. Total mobile data traffic will grow accordingly, at a CAGR of 39 percent, reaching 46EB per month, driven by continued growth in 4G subscriptions and 5G uptake in markets where 5G has been launched.
Ronni Nurmal, Head of Network Solutions Ericsson Indonesia, says ”In the initial phase of its introduction in Indonesia, 5G is enabling service providers to provide enhanced mobile broadband experience to consumers and enhance the capacity of the networks to manage the growing data traffic. Over time, we expect new, innovative 5G use cases to emerge in the areas of 5G for business and IoT use cases. We look forward to working with communication service providers towards providing the best possible 5G experience for Indonesian consumers and supporting the government’s agenda towards digitalization of services and enabling Industry 4.0 in Indonesia.”
The ten-year anniversary edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report includes four feature articles:
- Building 5G infrastructure for the digital future, together with Far EasTone
- Network build-out to boost digitalization, together with stc
- Time-to-content: Benchmarking network performance
- Building sustainable networks
Explore the Ericsson Mobility Report November 2021 edition and the Ericsson Mobility Report Journey.
RELATED LINKS:
Behind the scenes of the Ericsson Mobility Report: 10 years of industry leading insights
Ericsson’s publicly announced 5G contracts
Find out more about Ericsson’s 4G and 5G Fixed Wireless Access
NOTES TO EDITORS:
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