Telecom
Ericsson Taps 300 Million Consumers to Upgrade to 5G by 2021
A new report by Ericsson ConsumerLab has shown that about 300 million consumers worldwide could upgrade to the fifth-generation or 5G technology in 2021.
Of that number, at least 40 million customers in India might migrate to the 5G tech within the first year it is made available.
The trials for the next generation technology are yet to commence in the country.
5G which will bring low-latency applications and open up new cases as well as revenue streams is being perceived as an improvement over its predecessor– the 4G technology, and this is reflected in consumers’ upgrade intentions too.
In fact, the report said India has the highest rise in intention to upgrade with 67 per cent of users expressing an interest to take up 5G when it is available, rising annually by 14 percentage points.
Consequently, Indian consumers are willing to pay 50 per cent more for 5G plans with bundled digital services, as against just 10 per cent premium for 5G connectivity.
With this, the early adopters have a set of expectations as well. 70% of potential early adopters of 5G in India expect higher speeds than 4G, while 60% expect innovation in pricing from telcos such as 5G data sharing between family members or across devices.
Additionally, it was observed that 5G is already triggering new user behaviors. In addition to reducing Wi-Fi usage, early adopter 5G users also spend an average of two hours on cloud gaming, and one hour on augmented reality (AR) apps when compared to 4G users.
Further, the report predicts consumers will spend 7.5-8 hours/ week on extended reality (XR) apps by 2025.
Interestingly, fixed-wireless access (FWA) is being seen as a potential opportunity for 5G in India, with a third of urban users finding 5G home broadband to be ‘extremely relevant’. They are also willing to give up their existing fixed broadband provider.
It highlighted that by the end of 2020, increased awareness of service and value benefits could have resulted in 22 percent more smartphone users with 5G-ready handsets upgrading to 5G subscriptions.
“Given that Indian Service Providers are preparing for 5G deployments, the Ericsson ConsumerLab study throws up some interesting consumer insights towards 5G that will help them encourage 5G adoption and meet consumer expectations,” said Nitin Bansal, Head of Ericsson India and Head of Network Solutions Ericsson South East Asia, Oceania & India.
The report–Five Ways to a Better 5G–is based on the consumer sentiment and perception in 26 markets–including the US, China, South Korea, and the UK, according to the report. It covered 1.3 billion smartphone users globally, including 220 million 5G subscribers.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”
Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
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