It is estimated that by the end of 2020, the number of 5G users in North America will reach 20.9 million

North America is currently one of the most developed 5G markets in the world, with an estimated 20.9 million mobile 5G subscribers by the end of 2020, equivalent to 3.93% of the total mobile subscribers in the market. In April 2019, Verizon launched the first commercial mobile 5G network in North America, a move quickly followed by AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile in the United States. Canadian telecom companies Bell, Rogers and Telus launched commercial mobile 5G services in June 2020.

Meanwhile, Latin America lags far behind in 5G deployment. Although several operators are involved in 5G network trials, most 5G-related announcements so far have corresponded to small network launches.

Governments across the Americas should establish a favorable regulatory environment to unleash the ambitious potential of 5G. Improved and supportive regulations and policies are needed to ensure: efficient spectrum resources in a mix of available frequency bands for 5G; a supportive regulatory environment for network sharing; and certainty in 5G security requirements and procedures.

Successful 5G development will require a clear, supportive regulatory framework for sharing mobile infrastructure. The need for denser networks will drive up network costs and incentivize network sharing deals. Regulators should evaluate such deals based on transparent and clear criteria (such as coverage improvements, cost and environmental impact reductions), while ensuring that they do not hurt competition (especially for non-participating MNOs).

Although most Latin American operators have yet to issue specific infrastructure-sharing regulations for 5G networks, this will help speed up the rollout of 5G services.