The United States has taken the lead in the number of 5G cities, surpassing China for the first time. There has been a large increase of 5G cities in the U.S., according to a new report from VIAVI Solutions, with 503 cities now having 5G networks, compared to 297 in May 2022. The report also indicates the amount of 5G cities in China has stayed the same since June 2021 at 356. Although the U.S. has more 5G cities, China still comes out ahead in other aspects of 5G development, such as data speeds, 5G subscribers and base stations deployed.

The big picture: The number of 5G networks has grown significantly in the last year, with 5G now active in 47 of the world’s 70 largest economies. This is an increase from the previous year when 5G was available in only 92 countries. Additionally, 23 countries are currently running pre-commercial 5G trials, and 32 countries have announced their 5G intentions. The data also revealed that 18 countries announced their first 5G deployments in 2022 and that 2,497 cities across the world have commercial 5G networks.

The manufacturing industry is leading the way in private 5G networks, accounting for 44% of the established uses. Logistics, education, transport, sports, utilities, and mining are all participating as well. Companies in these sectors are typically in areas where reliable, high-speed connection is not always available, so private 5G is providing a way to get the connectivity they need. This also ties in with the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, such as smart factories and cities. Telecom operators are seeing the potential for IoT to bring in revenue, so private 5G is a natural solution.

The number of 5G Standalone networks has been increasing dramatically and is now much higher than it was a year ago. These networks, which are independent of 4G infrastructure, offer more possibilities and revenue opportunities than their non-standalone counterparts, which are mainly focused on providing faster data speeds. With so many 5G SA networks now available, operators are beginning to experience the advantages of 5G, and people in those countries should benefit from better network speeds.