75% of consumers cited fixed wireless access as the most appealing 5G use case
According to a Nokia study, which surveyed 3,000 consumers in the U.K., U.S. and South Korea, 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) is the most desirable consumer use case for the next-gen technology. 5G FWA was only one of six use cases presented on the survey, but with 75% of respondents citing it as the most appealing of the use cases, it certainly proved to be the most popular.
The study, conducted in partnership with Parks Associates, further revealed that 66% of respondents claimed that they would switch to 5G FWA if it proves to be cost-efficient and offers better or the same performance as their existing broadband connection, indicating a significant opportunity for mobile operators to compete with broadband provider in this space.
Because 41% of respondents said — and resented — that they only have a single choice when selecting a broadband provider, mobile operators have the chance to move in and offer a much-needed alternative to traditional broadband services.
A specific area in which consumers wanted to see a connectivity improvement was, unsurprisingly, in the category of quality video calls. In fact, 90% of respondents noted “high-quality, uninterrupted video streams” as a “very valuable” aspect of 5G. It is important to note that this survey was conducted prior to COVID-19, suggesting that the desire for better video call quality predated global lockdowns, which forced millions to work, learn and socialize from home.
Additionally, 66% of respondents rated video capture and streaming applications appealing and 69% rated video detection and alerting appealing.
“Video has been a bedrock of social interaction and 5G can greatly improve this capability, while social isolation and remote work likely increase appeal for immersive experience applications,” commented Josh Aroner, VP of communication service provider marketing.
The study also explored consumer familiarity with 5G, finding that most users still have a limited understanding of the new technology, with only half of consumers claiming any level of familiarity. However, the report further noted that familiarity with 5G increased with better awareness as 80% of respondents familiar with 5G found it appealing compared to 23% of those who are unfamiliar.
