Global Scans · Internet Communication · Weekly Summary

• [New] Even 5G - despite having reached half of the world's population in under five years - will eventually slow, as the gaps that remain become harder to close. World Intellectual Property Report 2026
• [New] Rapid global urbanization, with 68% of the world's population projected to live in urban areas by 2050 (UN DESA), combined with 5G IoT deployment, AI-driven urban analytics, and government-mandated digital infrastructure investment programs are primary growth factors. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Secure, carrier-grade 4G/5G connectivity on-board container vessels, delivering agentic AI-ready data, will improve cargo visibility and increase operational efficiency across the maritime industry, regardless of location on the world's oceans. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] 5G communications technologies will transform entire industries around the world and are already a core element of the mobile communications and automotive ecosystems. Cambridge Core
• [New] IoT connectivity in late 2026 will be more use-case specific, with BLE, Wi-Fi HaLow, Thread, LTE-M, and NB-IoT each finding different lanes. Titoma
• [New] A further €35 billion is required to extend 5G coverage to the entire European population, while €38 billion will build greater network resilience and €28 billion will underpin AI-based services and innovation. GSMA Europe
• [New] By 2027, 5G will overtake 4G as a dominant technology worldwide, but only after 9 years since its commercial debut. Global Business Outlook
• Expanding Low Earth Orbit satellite broadband could help narrow global connectivity gaps and generate substantial economic benefits by extending high-quality internet access to unserved and underserved communities. Oxford Economics
• Oxford Economics today released a report finding that expanded low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband services could add between $32 billion and $863 billion to global GDP by 2035 and support between 800,000 and 21 million jobs worldwide by 2035. US Press Center
• LEO satellite broadband has the potential to become an important complement to terrestrial networks by extending internet access to communities that have long been underserved by traditional infrastructure. US Press Center
• Sub-Saharan Africa: LEO could encourage 14 million Sub-Saharan Africans to get online in the incremental scenario alone-people who would otherwise have no broadband access regardless of pricing, due to lack of infrastructure. US Press Center
• By 2028, fiber broadband is projected to overtake cable as the dominant US broadband platform, by which time deployment will have shifted from greenfield to infill and upgrade - a less fiber-intensive phase. Ningbo Glory Optical Communication Co., Ltd.
• By 2030, 5G is expected to represent more than half of all mobile connections, emerging as the dominant mobile technology. SpringerLink
• The capex-to-revenue ratio will approach 14% by 2029, while wireless capital intensity is expected to fall to around 11% over the same period-down significantly from peak levels seen during the height of 5G deployment cycles. RCR Wireless
• Plus, NYC has announced $2 million in funding to expand Internet, New Mexico launched a new broadband mapping tool, a bicameral bill could increase participation in the Lifeline program, and more. Govtech
• By 2034, AI is expected to account for 30% of all broadband traffic. / USA devFlokers
• The global space economy could reach $1.1 trillion by 2040, driven primarily by satellite broadband, on-orbit manufacturing, and space-based logistics. BUSINESS 2.0 NEWS
• By 2027 annual 5G data traffic will balloon to 7 to 9 times the level of annual data traffic before 5G. / USA Digi International

Last updated: 24 May 2026