5G network at present is changing smartphone user activities
A new information by Ericsson ConsumerLab has exposed the impact 5G is already having on smartphone users worldwide and what they expect the technology to bring in the future.
Indoor coverage is one of the focus areas to reach from the consumer research, with one-in-five 5G users already decreasing Wi-Fi use on their phones indoors because of the benefits of 5G mobile connectivity.
The report, titled: “Five Ways to a Better 5G,” is the result of the biggest global 5G-consumer study to date. It covered consumer feeling and perception in 26 markets – involving the US, China, South Korea, and the UK – the Ericsson ConsumerLab study methodology is representative of 1.3 billion smartphone users globally, including 220 million 5G subscribers.
The report discovered key trends behind the acceptance, use and perception of consumers with and towards 5G.
A key finding revealed that even by the end of 2024, increased awareness of service and worth benefits had resulted in 22 per cent more smartphone users with 5G-ready handsets upgrading to 5G subscriptions.
The account also highlighted how 5G is already beginning to elicit new user behaviors. In addition to reducing Wi-Fi use, early adopter 5G users also spend an average of two hours more on cloud gaming and one hour more on augmented reality (AR) apps per week compared to 4G users.
Though, while 5G users are satisfied with the speed, about 70 per cent are displeased with the availability of innovative services and new apps. Consumers said they are willing to pay 20 to 30 per cent more for 5G plans bundled with digital service use cases.
According to the report, COVID-19 lockdowns and movement limitations mean that the huge majority of 5G early adopters’ regular experiences with the technology have been indoors.
As a result, early adopters indicate that indoor coverage is twice more important than speed or battery life in bringing satisfactory 5G experiences.
The report also outlined five ways for communications service providers (CSPs) to meet consumer outlooks both in the immediate and longer terms, including:
addressing the facts gap by educating and better marketing the worth of 5G to consumers ensuring steady quality of indoor and outdoor 5G coverage; adapting to network wants for new 5G services; focusing on consumer committed to envision new 5G use cases and accelerating the availability of existing and new use cases through ecosystem partnerships.
Head of ConsumerLab, Ericsson Research, Lasmeet Singh Sethi, said: “So far, investigates of 5G network experiences have mostly focused on 5G speeds and accessibility based on independent network quantities. But it is equally important to understand how 5G early adopters distinguish that experience. With Ericsson ConsumerLab’s five recommendations and insights, CSPs can encourage 5G adoption and meet consumer potentials.”