While most consumers and business professionals say they want 5G, most don’t know what they will be able to do with it, according to a new Ciena 5G benefits study.
According to the research conducted by Dynata on behalf of Ciena, fewer than 1-in-5 (19%) of U.S. business professionals say they understand what they will be able to do with the technology. More specifically:
- 41% of working professionals saying they only know a little bit about the benefits of 5G
- 32% of working professionals stating they have heard of 5G, but don’t understand what it is
- 8% of working professionals never have heard of 5G
The main benefit business professionals see is faster access speed, cited by 61% of respondents. Yet relatively few cited more reliable connectivity (18%), better wireless coverage (16%) or reduced latency (6%).
“5G is much more than just a faster wireless technology,” said Steve Alexander, Ciena senior vice president and chief technology officer, in a prepared statement about the 5G benefits study. “5G enables constant connectivity for people, machines and devices and is the infrastructure that the Internet of Things will rely on to create the cloud experience that we all need in our increasingly digital world. Yet, most professionals surveyed admit they don’t completely understand the broader benefits of 5G.”
Alexander added: “Fortunately, the data also highlighted the demand for 5G services, which could be leveraged – and indeed, driven – by providers effectively communicating the benefits and delivering the services users want, [to] both humans and machines.”
A little more than one quarter (26%) said they had a 5G smartphone and cellular plan already, with another 19% planning to upgrade this year.
In some previous 5G research among rural consumers, Global Wireless Solutions found rural consumers hope 5G delivers faster speeds and access to telemedicine.
