What happened
The Bangkok Post reports Ericsson finds Thailand's smartphone data usage at 34.4GB per month in 2025, above the global average of 22GB in 2025. Per the same report, Ericsson projects per-smartphone consumption to reach 56.1GB per month by 2031 versus a projected global average of 40GB. The Bangkok Post attributes the forecasted surge to AI applications, extended reality devices and video generation, and records Ericsson's estimate that AI uses roughly eight times more data than standard background traffic. The Bangkok Post also reports Thailand had about 33 million 5G subscribers (about 36% of subscriptions) in 2025, with a projection to more than 93 million subscribers (92%) by 2031.
Editorial analysis - technical context
Increased use of high-bandwidth services such as XR, real-time video generation and large-scale AI inference typically raises both downlink and uplink demand, and often necessitates mid-band capacity for balanced coverage and throughput. Mid-band spectrum such as 3.5GHz is commonly used in other markets to deliver the mix of speed and range required by these workloads.
Context and significance
Editorial analysis: For network planners and infrastructure teams, the combination of higher per-device throughput and a near-universal 5G subscriber base materially shifts capacity planning - especially for backhaul, edge sites and interconnects. Reported projections that Thailand's 5G penetration could reach 92% by 2031 imply a scale-up in concurrent high-bandwidth sessions compared with 2025 levels.
What to watch
Editorial analysis: Observers should track regulatory moves on releasing 3.5GHz spectrum, operator capital expenditure on mid-band and edge sites, and vendor announcements on XR- and AI-optimized network services. Also watch for operator reports that break down uplink versus downlink traffic to validate the Bangkok Post/Ericsson claim that AI and cloud syncs drive uploads.
Scoring Rationale #
Regional telecom forecast from Ericsson covering Thailand 5G and data usage through 2031, with AI-driven traffic as a cited driver. Useful context for network planners and infrastructure teams but is a vendor forecast rather than a frontier AI development or model release, placing it solidly in the minor-to-solid range.
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