5G : The fifth generation network paves the way to the world of metaviruses

With the increasing spread of 5G networks in many parts of the world, and expectations that the adoption of these networks will shift from individual cases as they were in the beginning to a wave of mass adoption; A new Ericsson study highlights the growing consumer interest in 5G, and their expectations for the new use cases it could enable in the next wave of this technology.

The Ericsson Consumer Lab report, which will be issued this year under the title "5. The Next Wave", deals with the impact of the fifth generation network on early consumers since its launch in several countries in the world, in addition to identifying the trend of consumers who have not yet subscribed to the service. The use and adoption of this technology, and their expectations regarding it in the future.

The report indicates that at least 30% of smartphone users plan to subscribe to the fifth generation network within the next year.

Data obtained by Ericsson from a new survey that has tracked 5G launches since 2019 has identified 6 key trends affecting the next wave of 5G adoption.

The report addresses the behavioral changes among consumers resulting from the inclusion of digital services in the fifth generation plans that will be provided by telecom service providers, especially the increasing use of video and augmented reality applications.

The report also revealed the speed of 5G adoption, if it meets consumer demands and changes related to 5G networks in smartphone behavior and the impact of these changes on network traffic.

The report, compiled by interviewing more than 49,000 consumers in 37 countries, is the industry's largest global 5G consumer survey to date, and the largest consumer survey conducted by Ericsson in its history.

The scope of this survey represents the opinions of nearly 1.7 billion consumers around the world, including 430 million 5G subscribers.

Commenting on the report, Ericsson Consumer Lab Head Jasmeet Singh Sethi said: “The broad scope of this report gives us real insight into consumer opinions and attitudes toward 5G, and shows that the next wave of potential 5G users will have different expectations from this report. technology compared to early adopters.

The report anticipates that 5G consumers with experience using extended reality functionality will be the first to adopt future devices, as they are most excited about the capabilities of mixed reality glasses.

Half of 5G users who already use AR and virtual reality services on a weekly basis believe that AR apps will move from smartphones to an extended reality helmet within the next two years, compared to a third of 5G consumers who share this view.

6 Key Features of the Next Wave of 5G Technologies 

1. The next 5G wave is anti-inflation: At least 510 million consumers in 37 markets around the world are likely to adopt 5G in 2023.

2. High Expectations of Performance: The next wave of 5G users have high expectations about the performance of this network, especially its coverage, compared to early adopters who are interested in new innovative services enabled by this network.

3. A new standard for consumer satisfaction: Geographical coverage, indoor or outdoor coverage, and complete coverage in critical areas are more important for building user perception than demographic coverage.

4. Increased use of enhanced video and augmented reality technologies: Over the past two years, the time 5G users spend on augmented reality applications has doubled to two hours per week.

5. 5G is evolving financially in the next wave: 6 in 10 consumers expect 5G offerings to go beyond providing more data and speeds to network capabilities that are tailored to meet specific needs.

6. Paving the way into the world of metavirus in the next wave: 5G users currently spend one hour per week on Metaverse-related services more than 4G users, and they also expect to consume more video content for two hours per week on mobile devices by 2025. Including an hour and a half on augmented and virtual reality glasses.