5G, between disappointment and reality

With self-driving cars, refrigerators that talk to toasters, amazing immersive reality, and incredible games. 5G he was going to allow everything, and the telecommunications companies were going to make a lot of money. But the reality is not so clear.

The network, which promised not to be “another G” in Ericsson’s ads, has left many customers wondering exactly what they’re paying for, and is back in the spotlight of the phone industry’s annual meeting, Mobile World Congress (MVK 2023) which is celebrated these days in Barcelona.

The organizers of the event assured that 5G it was “discovering untapped value for all players in the ecosystem” and “reimagining how the world connects”.

But the excitement also came with a touch of reality from Christel Heidemann, head of the French chain Orange.

Operators are in danger, he said in MVKbecause “large network investments of nearly 600 billion euros ($639.5 billion) in Europe over the past decade have proven difficult to monetize.”

“And consumers always expect to pay less and get more,” he added.

But operators aren’t the only ones who might regret their big game.

Ericsson supplying equipment for networks 5Gjust laid off 8,500 people after their profits plummeted.

“He 5G it disappointed almost everyone, service providers and consumers, and did not encourage companies,” said Dario Talmesio from consulting company Omdia.

Ghost 4G

He 5Gas Talmesio explains, was never really a consumer offering as it is much more suited to companies and industrial use.

But it has not been easy to persuade telecoms companies to invest billions just to improve connectivity between factories and ports or to develop high-tech medical services. So he surrounded himself 5G marketing that qualifies everything, even small improvements, as important innovations.

Advantages 5G however, they remain very obscure to general cell phone users.

In a survey last year, thousands of American consumers said they were interested in 5Gbut when asked more about what it entailed, they had little idea of ​​the benefits it entailed.

Most of the most cited services were already available with 4G., According to this survey of 10,000 US consumers by Israeli software company ironSource.

The results summarize two main issues 5G: He 4G good enough for most people, and the terminology 5G This is generally very difficult to understand.

Unlimited

Despite everything, criticizing 5G This is unthinkable for most of the industry.

In this sense, Ericsson Vice President Fredrik Jaidling denied the bad perception 5G became one of the reasons for mass layoffs in the company.

Instead, Jaidling explained that the group needed to “adjust” its “investment levels to market demand”.

Ericsson gave a big seat at MWC to 5G innovation and insisted that neither innovation nor research be compromised.

“This is a platform for innovation. If you don’t, you won’t know what you’re missing out on,” Jaedling said.

Frédéric Liaigre, who heads Verizon’s business operations in France and other European countries, shares Jaidling’s enthusiasm, saying there is no limit to Verizon’s potential. 5G.

Verizon was one of the first to offer 5G to clients in the United States, and Liaigre admits that the business side is just getting started.

But he is referring to his projects, such as providing a private network 5G to the British port of Southampton to improve its security and supply chain management – as if they were as attractive as self-driving cars or talking toasters.

“The transformative potential of this technology is truly incredible,” he said.

If the average consumer will ever be as enthusiastic about 5G remains to be seen. (Europe Press)

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