This Global Trends benchmark covers policies and regulations supporting deployments of 5G networks and availability of 5G services across 16 jurisdictions: Australia, Brazil, mainland China, the EU, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, and the US.

The research addresses, for each jurisdiction:

• the status of 5G network deployments, including on availability of 5G standalone (SA) networks;
• an overview of mobile and fixed-wireless access (FWA) 5G commercial offers;
• government strategies and actions that promote the deployment of 5G networks as well as and their evolution towards 6G; and
• 5G spectrum assignments, including 5G licences’ main terms and conditions.

Early 5G adopters include mobile network operators (MNOs) in Asia-Pacific and the US. Among all jurisdictions surveyed in this benchmark, India was the last to launch 5G services.

In most jurisdictions analysed, 5G deployments have been carried out gradually, as an evolution of 4G networks. However, Brazil and Singapore are notable exceptions.

In the case of Brazil, terms of use of the 3.5 GHz spectrum licences include strict 5G standalone coverage obligations. In Singapore, the Infocomm Media Development Authority, IMDA, decided that 3.5 GHz spectrum licensees must deploy 5G standalone networks from the outset.

Where 5G networks are available, operators usually choose to offer both 5G mobile plans and 5G-based FWA services to maximise commercial opportunities bound to their 5G network deployments.

All surveyed jurisdictions acted to promote 5G network deployments through assigning spectrum and implementing infrastructure policies to facilitate deployments.

Five out of the 16 jurisdictions surveyed are already preparing for 6G.

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