5G deployments are expanding, but CSP revenue generation will remain minimal in the short term

5G is becoming a must-deploy technology for an increasing number of CSPs globally, prompting accelerated build-out timelines and broader rollouts

The 5G era is progressing as several countries expanded or commenced commercial 5G deployments in 2019, particularly the U.S., South Korea, Australia, the U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. An increasing number of communications service providers (CSPs) globally, predominantly in developed countries, are accelerating and broadening the scope of their 5G build-outs. There are a few reasons for this pull forward, including the need for CSPs to stay competitive for customers of traditional mobile broadband and high-speed internet services, reducing the cost per gigabyte of carrying traffic (network opex efficiencies), and building a foundation in preparation for new use cases of the network. The availability of 5G devices, including a variety of smartphones, in 2019 is another key driver prompting earlier infrastructure investment.

Though 5G deployments are accelerating, TBR expects CSP 5G revenue generation will be minimal in the short term as consumers will be slow to adopt 5G devices due to their high prices and limited initial 5G service coverage. TBR believes business customers will provide the greatest opportunity for long-term 5G revenue generation as use cases requiring the ultra-low latency and accelerated data speeds enabled by 5G will be more prevalent in the enterprise space. CSPs are positioning to support enterprise 5G use cases by investing in innovation centers and targeting private 5G network customers.

TBR’s 5G Telecom Market Landscape tracks the 5G-related initiatives of leading operators and vendors worldwide. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the global 5G ecosystem and includes insights pertaining to market development, market sizing, use cases, adoption, regional trends, and operator and vendor positioning and strategies.