Expect the unimaginable: A document analysis of expectations for 5G in UK newspapers

I conduct a document analysis of two UK national newspapers in order to assess the technological expectations that were expressed about 5G mobile networks over the period 2011–2020. Six themes of expectations are identified in the corpus, namely scepticism over 5G, spectrum and infrastructure, 5G network performance capabilities, technological and industrial competition, 5G as an enabler, and the impacts of 5G. The corpus is dominated by expectations about the national security implications of allowing the Chinese company Huawei to play a role in the UK's 5G networks, and debates over this issue drive an increase in both coverage and expectations in general towards the end of the timeline. A number of strategies used to generate expectation credibility and legitimacy for 5G are identified, as are a number of key performative effects evident within the corpus. The findings reported here build on and contribute to existing work on mobile communications and technological expectations for ICTs, and offer two key conceptual insights – the identification of an ‘expect the unimaginable’ discourse, and the identification of subtle discursive strategies that contribute to the realisation of 5G by obscuring choice and preventing resistance rather than generating legitimacy. • Document analysis of expectations for 5G in two key UK newspapers, 2011–2020 • Identifies six key themes of expectations • The corpus is dominated by expectations about the security implications of allowing Huawei to play a role in the UK's 5G networks • Coverage of the policy debate over Huawei drives an increase in articles and expectations towards the end of the timeline • Identifies strategies used to generate expectation credibility and legitimacy for 5G, as well as key performative effects