Assessing early uptake and impacts of 5G mobile services for Australian consumers

The introduction of the fifth generation of mobile standards (5G) has promised faster speeds, greater network capacity and lower latency. 5G has only recently rolled out in many countries, so there is little empirical data on what individual consumers are doing with the speed, capacity and lower latency that 5G promises to offer. To examine early consumer take-up of 5G, we conducted a series of small-group discussions with individual users of 5G mobile services in Melbourne and regional Victoria, Australia. We found that coverage, connectivity and reliability of network connection remain live issues for many consumers, especially (but not exclusively) those in regional areas. Despite this, there is some evidence of incremental improvements in performance, even with a weakened 5G signal. Significantly, in cases where there's strong connectivity and reliability, there is also evidence that 5G provides consumers with an additional or alternative connectivity option to home broadband. Investigating this unique moment in the rollout of fifth-generation mobile standards is crucial in grasping the continuing challenges as well as the emerging and evolving economic and cultural possibilities of 5G services and applications in Australia.