5G coverage now extends to 1662 cities across 65 countries

Viavi Solutions released a research demonstrating the accelerating pace at which 5G is growing, with coverage extending to an additional four countries and 301 cities worldwide since the beginning of this year.

The new total — 1662 cities across 65 countries — represents an increase of more than 20 percent during 2021 to date, according to the latest edition of the report.

The extension of 5G coverage

The top three countries that 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.

The APAC region remains in the lead with 641 cities, closely followed by EMEA at 623. The Americas region lags behind at 398 cities.

Not all 5G technologies are created equal

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. However, 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,” said Sameh Yamany, CTO, 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.”