After the United States and China comes South Korea, with gigabit access for 46.9 million people, followed by Spain with 30.1 million and Canada with 15.9 million. When coverage is analyzed according to the percentage of the population, Singapore remains the world leader, with gigabit internet available to 95% of its population.
While the fact that one in 20 people now have access to gigabit internet shows significant global progress, this contrasts sharply with the estimated 50% of the world's population that still lacks any internet access. In the last 12 months, only two new countries have gained gigabit internet access: Bahrain and Malaysia. This is a decrease from last year, when eight countries joined the ranks of those with gigabit internet.
As gigabit-capable 5G networks are activated worldwide, cellular technology's share of gigabit internet delivery has increased, with a corresponding decrease in fiber's share. This trend is expected to continue over the next two years as 5G networks expand. However, this front-line observation obscures the fact that fiber remains the preferred backhaul infrastructure in most cellular, cable, and telecom networks, making fiber a critical, albeit sometimes overlooked, component for most gigabit internet providers.
“It’s not surprising that we’re seeing a gradual shift from wired gigabit internet delivery to wireless technologies. As commercial 5G networks are deployed in greater numbers, the pace of this transition will increase dramatically and soon reach a tipping point,” said Sameh Yamany, Chief Technology Officer of VIAVI. “However, even with the global increase in 5G networks, the importance of testing and troubleshooting fiber will remain critical as mobile operators increasingly deploy fiber-based network infrastructure.”.
