Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAV) on June 28 released new research demonstrating the accelerating pace at which 5G technology deployments are growing, with coverage extending to an additional four countries and 301 cities worldwide since the beginning of this year.
The new total — 1,662 cities across 65 countries — represents an increase of more than 20 percent during 2021 to date, according to the Mid-Year Update edition of the VIAVI report "The State of 5G," now in its fifth year.
According to the updated research, the top three countries that currently have the most cities with 5G coverage are China at 376, the United States at 284, and the Philippines with 95, overtaking South Korea which is now in fourth position with 85 cities.
VIAVI says the APAC region remains in the lead with 641 cities, closely followed by EMEA at 623. The Americas region lags behind at 398 cities.
With the launch of commercial 5G services in four additional countries — Cyprus, Peru, Russia and Uzbekistan — well over a third of the world's countries now have at least one live 5G network, notes the company.
However, the report finds the quality and speed of connectivity can vary significantly from region to region, depending on available spectrum.
"Although we are seeing a significant jump in the number of networks being rolled out, not all 5G technologies are created equal," observes Sameh Yamany, Chief Technology Officer at VIAVI. "Networks operating in lower, mid and upper band frequencies perform very differently in terms of reach and throughput, increasing the importance of network assurance and optimization to consistently fulfill the promise of 5G."
The Mid-Year Update edition of VIAVI's State of 5G report is available here. The company notes the data was compiled from publicly available sources for information purposes only, as part of VIAVI's practice of tracking trends to enable cutting-edge technology development that allows communications service providers to maximize their 5G network deployments.
During this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, VIAVI contributed to a demonstration of eMBB end-to-end testing with Rohde & Schwarz.
VIAVI also participated in a live panel discussion during the O-RAN Alliance Industry Summit on June 29 to discuss the latest industry updates on the progress of O-RAN technology, and showcased new virtual demos related to near-real-time RIC testing and deployment of an O-CU tester on edge infrastructure in the event's O-RAN Virtual Exhibition.
Learn more at https://www.viavisolutions.com/en-us.