What do next wave 5G consumers want?

The largest ever 5G global consumer study to date. The respondents selected for the interview represent the online population aged between 15 and 69 within the surveyed markets, which in total consists of 1.7 billion consumers and 430 million 5G users. The research reveals that the next wave of 5G is underway, with mainstream consumers now adopting 5G in frontrunner markets that launched 5G early on. It also highlights six key 5G trends and suggests how communications service providers can respond to the expectations of both early adopters and the next wave of consumers, driving further 5G adoption. The 6 key finds are as follows: 

1. Consumer 5 G adoption to be inflation-resilient: Despite spiraling inflation, elevated food and energy costs, and rising interest rates during 2022, consumers globally are still planning to upgrade to 5G. However, this will vary across different markets.
2. 5G is being adopted by a new wave of users with higher expectations: 5G subscriptions have gone beyond early adopters and we are now seeing the next wave of users, who are demanding 5G works without hassle.
3. Perceived 5G availability is emerging as the new satisfaction benchmark: 5G users perceive being connected to an active 5G signal. Ensuring the availability of 5G has become the new benchmark for user satisfaction. Consumer satisfaction with 5G can no longer be assessed by the extent of the population covered by 5G alone; perceived availability is a far better metric.
4. 5G is pushing up usage of enhanced video and augmented reality (AR): over the past two years, time spent by 5G uhas have been on AR and enhanced videos such as HD/4K multi-view video or 360-degree video.
5. 5G monetization models are expected to evolve: Around 6 in 10 consumers globally want 5G plans to move beyond just offering more gigabytes. However, most service providers still provide the same offerings they did for 4G.
6. 5G adoption is paving the path to the Metaverse: The transition from immersive services to metaverse experiences is now underway. Our research reveals that 5G users are taking the first steps into the metaverse.