The UN and all the nations of the world agreed on and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to help insure everyone everywhere comes into the global economy and substantially improves their quality of life, health and wealth. The goals address hunger, healthcare, education, and gender equality. They also cover critical global challenges like climate change and ocean health.
Meanwhile, mobile broadband is the most ubiquitous technology in history. Advancements in mobile technology—including rapidly-growing 5G, the latest generation of wireless tech—can help enable achievement of the SDGs.
Here are a few of the 17 SDGs which may be most impacted by 5G and resulting digitalization:
A 10% increase in mobile broadband adoption means a 0.8% increase in a nation’s gross domestic product, according to research conducted by Ericsson with London’s Imperial College.
Half the world’s population already has access to the internet—the next 50% will be connected by broadband. And the 5.9 billion mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide today will surpass 8 billion by 2024. (Many people have multiple subscriptions.) This will enable social and economic inclusion and help meet societal needs in education, health, e-government and entrepreneurship.
5G technology will enable factories to be more flexible, safer, energy efficient, and cost-effective.
Digitalization of a range of services and industries, which will be aided by 5G, can help reduce greenhouse and gas emissions by up to 15% by 2030. (For details, see the Exponential Climate Action Roadmap.)
All data in the above report comes from Ericsson sources, including the Ericsson Mobility Report. The company is one of the world’s top wireless technology providers, and a major contributor to 5G innovation.
