Trend


The ups and downs of the deployment of 5G devices


T


he Global Certification Forum (GCF) recently published its annual mobile device trends report, which includes an analysis of wireless device


certification data for 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. Te report confirms the continuing rapid migration to 5G, with over 30% of all devices in 2021 integrating the technology, and an increase in support for 5G standalone (SA) operation, which is in nearly 90% of 5G devices. However, having initially outpaced LTE in terms of its proportion of all devices, 5G has fallen behind in the third year of its deployment.


GCF certification GCF states that 150 device manufacturers across 25 countries are currently partici- pating in its certification programmes. A total of 609 device models from 89 manufacturers were certified by GCF in 2021 – a record number and an increase of over 18% from the 75 manufacturers identified in 2020. On the flip side, the number of devices certified fell nearly 15% from the level achieved the previous year, one reason being the continuing shiſt


towards 5G. In 2020, many smartphones were produced and certified in separate 4G and 5G model variants, whereas in 2021 more models came in a single 5G version. Tere was also an impact from the


worldwide chip shortage, which caused problems across many industries.


Integrating 5G Te integration of 5G into devices has continued to increase rapidly, but aſter an initial burst in 2020 the proportion of new devices incorporating 5G has fallen behind the level for LTE at the equivalent point in its lifecycle. Over 30% of all certified devices in 2021 integrated 5G, compared with 21% in 2020. Among these, there was a significant jump in the proportion supporting 5G SA operation. Some 65% of the 5G devices certified in 2021 supported 5G SA, up from 34% in 2020. Tis rate continues to grow and today the proportion of 5G devices supporting 5G SA is nearly 90%. Smartphones remained the largest category of device in 2021 with 43%, with modules in second place at nearly 30% – up more than 3% on 2020. Te third largest category in 2021 was


04 October 2022 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


WLAN routers, which made up 8% of the certified devices. Tis was a considerable jump from 2020, largely due to operators supporting fixed 5G wireless access on their 5G networks, which drove up the demand for WLAN routers. In 2022 to date, the top three device


categories remain the same, but the proportion of WLAN routers has declined, possibly because their longer lifecycle means that fewer new models need to be certified. Of the two dominant cellular IoT


standards, the number of NB-IoT devices certified continued to grow strongly, rising 16% to 65%, whereas LTE CAT M1 (FDD) remained close to its 2020 level, which was more that 70% higher than in 2019.


Shaping the industry GCF is a non-profit, global, membership- driven organisation that has been shaping the industry since 1999, with mobile technology at the core. GCF has over 300 members from major operators, MVNOs, all major device and IoT manufacturers and the test industry, working together with key industry partners on certification programmes needed by the market.


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