Accepting 5G technology becomes the mainstream trend in the world

Ericsson ConsumerLab has conducted the largest ever global 5G user study. From April to July 2022, the organization conducted online interviews with 49,100 users in 37 markets around the world. The interviewees represent the voices of 1.7 billion mobile users and 430 million 5G users aged 15 to 69 in the surveyed markets. The study found that current 5G users are mainly from early adopter markets such as South Korea, the US, Japan, Australia, Taiwan and China, and that these users have higher requirements for new service experiences and are driving the next wave of 5G users.

Illustration photo.

While the next wave of 5G users want to see significant improvements in coverage and network performance, early adopters of 5G technology are mainly looking to experience new, rich 5G services and premium 5G mobile devices, according to Ericsson ConsumerLab research.

The study also found that around 30% of all smartphone users plan to upgrade to 5G by 2023, or around 510 million users across 37 markets worldwide, despite rising inflation and rising living costs. In addition, among the current 5G users surveyed, a quarter said they plan to upgrade to a higher-priced plan in the next 12 months.

In fact, many of those surveyed consider 5G mobile broadband to be part of their essential spending portfolio. According to the study, 76% of smartphone users said they would not consider reducing their monthly mobile broadband spending. Despite global economic uncertainties, 5G users still value reliable connectivity, and the majority of current 5G users do not want to switch back to 4G.

Current 5G users are using their 5G smartphones differently than they did with their previous 4G devices. According to Ericsson, 5G users tend to spend more time on metaverse-related services such as gaming, socializing, and shopping for digital items in 3D virtual worlds.

In fact, over the past two years, 5G users’ time spent on augmented reality applications has doubled to 2 hours per week. The average 5G user spends an hour more per week on metaverse-related services than 4G users. Ericsson predicts that users will consume 2 hours more video content on 5G-enabled mobile devices, of which 1.5 hours are expected to be spent using virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) glasses by 2025.

Analysis of more than 180 mobile service providers globally shows that only 20% of service providers today differentiate their 5G plans with rich 5G applications and experiences, while 14% offer 5G plans across different speed tiers.

Several studies have shown that 5G-related services can drive revenue growth for mobile service providers and increase user adoption. Most service providers in the markets with the highest 5G penetration globally, including China, Hong Kong and South Korea, saw mobile service revenue growth in 2021, higher than the average of 1.2% for developed Asia.

When it comes to charging for 5G services, Ericsson’s research shows that consumers want a variety of ways to charge. 60% of consumers surveyed expect 5G not to be charged based on how much data they use or how fast or slow their data is, while only 25% want 5G plans to be priced and tiered based on speed and usage. Additionally, they want the option to pay for increased performance on demand when needed or for 5G to be embedded in certain applications, such as gamers being able to pay more for a low-latency gaming session to meet their real-world needs.

According to a report from the global strategy research and analysis company Omdia (UK) and the 5G Americas Mobile Industry Trade Association, global 5G mobile network penetration is now doubling every year, reaching 813 million connections by the end of the second quarter of 2022. Global 5G connections are forecast to reach 1.1 billion by the end of 2022, continue to increase and reach 2 billion in 2023 and 5.9 billion by the end of 2027.

5G is scaling faster than any previous mobile generation, with global mobile network data traffic doubling in the past two years, driven by continued growth in smartphone usage, mobile broadband and industrial use.

According to data from TeleGeography and 5G Americas, the number of 5G networks that have deployed commercial services to customers globally has reached 233. This number is expected to reach 313 by the end of 2022 and 352 by the end of 2024, demonstrating that investment in 5G networks is being strongly promoted in many regions around the world.

In Vietnam, mobile network operators Viettel, Mobifone and Vinafone have been granted licenses by the Ministry of Information and Communications to test 5G technology. To date, these network operators are piloting 5G in 55 provinces and centrally-run cities. Vietnam aims to have 100% of its population covered by 5G technology by 2030.

In Nghe An alone, on October 15, mobile network operator Viettel officially announced the provision of 5G service trials and became the first network operator to deploy this technology locally. In the first phase of the trial, mobile users can experience 5G services completely free of charge and with unlimited capacity around 5 areas in Vinh city, where the network operator has placed 5G broadcasting stations including Viettel Nghe An Building, Vinh Center Trade Center, Department of Information and Communications Building, Vinh University and Ho Tung Mau Street./.