With 5G a hot topic today, ironSource Aura was interested in people’s perception of 5G, how they see it affecting their device experience, and how the telecom industry can leverage this exciting rollout.
We surveyed 10,000 people in the United States who are currently using a mobile device and network that’s 5G compatible - and found that while consumers express enthusiasm about 5G, many don’t understand some of its main benefits. In fact, in many cases, features that consumers are looking forward to with 5G, are ones they already have today with 4G, without realizing it. Here are some of the highlights:
78% of respondents expect 5G technology to be better than 4G. However, 95% of respondents don’t know which 4G benefits are already on their devices today.
Consumers are very excited about the upcoming rollout of 5G, with over 70% expressing a willingness to pay for the new technology (with payment used as a proxy for perceived value).
But while people look forward to faster downloads, many don’t understand the other key benefits, including “connectivity”, “capacity”, and “latency” and attribute relatively low value to these benefits.
The enthusiasm for the new technology varies by demographic: Younger consumers, those living in family households, and higher-income consumers place more value on 5G compared to their older, lower income, or smaller household counterparts.
Users who have a clear interest in gaming, entertainment, and live streaming are more likely to be willing to pay for 5G (92%) versus the overall average (81%).
The lack of clarity behind 5G represents a huge opportunity for telecom operators to improve the user experience and build loyalty and trust - by communicating the benefits of 5G and highlighting the real-life value of high-speed mobile data, especially by user segment.
