The number of cell phone subscribers is skyrocketing in Greece and worldwide, as the device has become an indispensable everyday multi-tool in owners’ hands. In Greece, with a population of roughly 10.5 million, there are 12 million active smart phone subscriptions.
According to data in the Ericsson Mobility Report, during the second quarter of 2024, the total number of cell phone subscriptions at international level reached 8.7 billion, an increase of 60 million compared to the previous quarter.
The country with the largest increase was China (+22 million), followed by India (+8 million) and Bangladesh (+2 million).
Today, 89 percent of cell phone subscriptions are of the broadband type, meaning they allow access to the Internet, apps, and online services (i.e. via smart phones).
The number of mobile broadband subscriptions in the second quarter of the year increased by 100 million, reaching a total of 7.7 billion subscriptions. This indicates a five percent increase year-on-year.
Twelve million subscribers in Greece
In Greece, cell phone connections today amount to approximately 12 million, according to 2024 figures. If the active population of our country that uses a cell phone is calculated, the number of connections is considered high and is on the same level as it is internationally.
The power and influence of smart phones in Greece is also highlighted by the fact that almost all internet users (97 percent) prefer to connect to the internet via smartphones (Focus Bari survey). The average daily duration of internet connection from cell phones amounts to 135 minutes nowadays.
But what are the basic preferences and requirements of cell phone subscribers in Greece regarding the choice of device?
Petros Drakopoulos, Marketing Director of Huawei CBG Greece, spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency on the issue. He said:
“Consumers in Greece, as in many other countries, have specific preferences and demands from their smartphones, which are shaped by technological developments, financial possibilities and their daily needs. One of the main factors for Greek consumers is price. Most consumers in Greece are looking for devices with good performance that do not cost too much. However, surveys have shown that Greek consumers also have a preference for flagship devices.”
“Greek smartphone owners want to get the most for their money,” Drakopoulos said. “A smartphone that offers good performance and features at a reasonable price has a clear edge in the market. Also, users in Greece, as in Europe, put a lot of emphasis on battery life, especially for daily use that includes a lot of communication, social media, and content streaming,”
According to the Huawei marketing director, Greek consumers also emphasize the importance of photography and videography along with battery life when purchasing a smart phone.
Rise in 5G subscriptions worldwide
The number of 5G subscriptions increased by 161 million during the quarter, surpassing 1.9 billion worldwide. Now, 22 percent of cell phone subscriptions include 5G services, and this is constantly increasing, with around 320 cell phone operators offering commercial 5G2 services and over 60 having deployed or offering commercial 5G services on Standalone (SA) networks.
According to Ericsson’s report, the downward trend in 4G subscriptions continued for another quarter as users are gradually migrating to 5G networks. However, 4G remains the dominant technology in cell phone subscriptions, with 5.2 billion of these accounting for 60 percent of the total. A similar downward trend is seen in 2G and 3G subscriptions, as WCDMA/HSPA subscriptions dropped by 34 million, while the decline in GSM/EDGE subscriptions reached 41 million during the quarter.
Furthermore, Ericsson’s report notes that cell phone subscription penetration reached 107 percent worldwide, with the number of SIM cards exceeding the human population. The number of unique cell phone subscribers, however, stands at 6.5 billion. The difference between unique users and total SIMs is largely due to the possession of multiple SIMs per person, as well as inactive subscriptions.
Data traffic via cell phone networks
Data traffic via cell phone networks is experiencing great growth as it increased by 28 EB*(exabyte ) per month between Q2 2023 and the same period in 2024, rising to 151 EB per month.
In particular, data traffic via cell phone networks increased by 23 percent annually, with the corresponding increase for the first quarter of 2024 being four percent.
The ever-increasing data traffic is fueled by the uptake of smartphones, the transition of users from 4G to 5G, the ever-increasing offer of data volume per subscription by providers, as well as the increasing data consumption for video usage services.
It is noted that despite reduced growth rate, traffic increases every quarter in absolute numbers. It is also worth noting that data traffic through cell phone networks has doubled in just two years.
