Over half of consumers expecting 5G speed boost - study

Device vendors and operators are betting on 5G to unlock a new chapter in the smartphone growth story but new research from the GSMA suggests consumers will need to be convinced before upgrading. GSMA Intelligence’s annual consumer survey of 36,000 people across 34 key markets found that almost 90 percent of consumers in developed countries own a smartphone, with an average of 2.5 smartphones in every US household. More than half of consumers in developed countries (54 percent) said they expect 5G networks to deliver faster speeds, but it is not yet clear if they will pay a premium for the speed boost. 

In addition, the survey revealed that only one in four consumers (25 percent) expect 5G to deliver ‘innovative new services’, and only 20 percent believe 5G will usher in a new era of devices.

Other findings include the fact that the average US and UK household now owns six connected devices – from TVs to consoles to emerging categories such as smart speakers – with 16 percent of US households owning a smart speaker, compared to 9 percent a year earlier.

However, adoption rates of VR headsets in developed markets stayed flat year-on-year at around 6 percent of households and have even dropped in some key markets such as the UK. AR applications in fashion, gaming and various enterprise sectors are more advanced at this stage, said the GSMA.

The industry body added that it will be using the data to publish two new GSMA Intelligence reports on ‘The Future of Devices’ and ‘5G’s Great Expectations’ at CES 2019.