Millennials first into 5G fray following coronavirus pandemic

More youngsters ready to embrace technological change, research suggests

More than half (55 per cent) of millennials are ready to embrace the role of 5G in the UK according to new research.

The Connecting the Consumer research surveyed 3,000 UK consumers on their perception of 5G technology and found that a leap in digital activity and tech usage during the lockdown has resulted in a quarter of all consumers believing 5G will help the UK to recover from the pandemic.

The research also noted that two-fifths (40 per cent) of those surveyed said 5G will be a positive asset to the UK economy overall. Almost half (45 per cent) of respondents felt that 5G would help the UK to remain competitive.

With remote working becoming more prevalent throughout the pandemic, more than half (57 per cent) of UK consumers now believe that good internet has become more important to them since the coronavirus outbreak.

Since digital habits and working structures have changed, half of the consumers (44 per cent) said they are now more reliant on their phones than they were before COVID-19. This number is even higher for 16-24-year-olds (57 per cent)

Oppo UK general manager Kevin Cho said: “Consumers have been reluctant to embrace 5G for some time. While the business case for implementing the new network has always been clear, there’s been a dearth of information around how 5G will enhance consumers’ lives day-to-day which has meant they’ve often felt side-lined”

“And yet there’s so much more consumers can glean from their devices with 5G – from better quality streaming and faster browsing, right through to experiencing virtual and augmented reality on-the-go. The future of 5G and connectivity is incredibly exciting and we’re looking forward to creating even more ways for our customers to enjoy its benefits both inside and outside of the home.”

CCS Insight chief of research Ben Wood added: “The momentum around 5G in the UK is unstoppable.

“This year we expect over three million 5G smartphones to be sold, accounting for 20% of the market, and the following year over half of the phones sold in the UK will be 5G enabled.”

“As well as offering great speeds, customers will benefit from better capacity on what are typically congested networks, and, looking ahead, we expect 5G’s capabilities to enable the creation of ground-breaking and previously unimaginable new apps.”

Despite the positivity surrounding 5G, only a third (30 per cent) know why 5G will benefit them personally. Half of consumers (48 per cent) believe the biggest benefits of 5G would be faster download/streaming speeds and a fifth (20 per cent) of consumers want to buy a 5G phone so that they can stream on the go without lag or interruption.

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