Nokia has revealed that 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is the most desirable 5G use case amongst consumers globally.
The research confirms that there is an opportunity for mobile operators to compete with broadband providers by offering FWA to homes and businesses.
The study conducted by Parks Associates surveyed 3,000 people in the UK, US and South Korea examining consumer understanding and demand for 5G services across six different use cases including autonomous vehicles, video surveillance and immersive technologies.
76 percent of respondents regard FWA as the most appealing use case overall, with 66 percent claiming they would subscribe to 5G FWA if it cost the same as their current broadband service and delivers the same or better performance.
Currently, 41 percent of respondents only had the option of a single broadband provider with many resenting this lack of choice. This highlights the opportunity mobile operators have to offer FWA as an alternative to traditional broadband services.
90 percent rated high-quality, uninterrupted video streams a very valuable aspect of 5G. 66 percent rated video capture and streaming applications are appealing, and 69 percent rating video detection and alerting appealing.
Nokia commissioned this research prior to the current global coronavirus pandemic but its insights are still valid and applicable.
“FWA is an attractive early use case for 5G, especially with remote install, but operators must make an informed decision about how to invest in it and in which geographic location,” Josh Aroner, vice president of Communication Service Provider Marketing, said.
Nearly half of those who work remotely indicate a strong willingness to switch providers for 5G service and more likely to intend to purchase a 5G phone. Greatly expanded remote work experience may drive plan and phone upgrades.
Nearly two-thirds of early 5G users are highly satisfied with the speeds they experience on 5G networks, compared with less than half of 4G users.
45 percent of all consumers find connected car concepts appealing with navigation and safety capabilities seen as most valuable, but this jumps to 73 percent amongst vehicle owners. 53 percent of vehicle owners said they would be interested in bundling car connectivity with a 5G data plan.
Two-thirds of consumers find 5G-enabled Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality services appealing and 56 percent were drawn to cloud gaming. Mandatory physical distancing may be the inflection point for these use cases.
