A study carried out by MATRIXX Software has discovered that consumers aren’t solely concerned with speed, and are going to need more than faster downloads if networks want them to upgrade.
The white paper used small focus groups in both Milton Keynes and San Diego, which found that consumers were interested in what 5G can offer, but are mostly happy with their current 4G coverage plans.
And 5G hasn’t impressed consumers enough to go out and buy a new device until they actually need to upgrade.
Marketing hype
The whitepaper from MATRIXX Software shed some light on the general views of the focus group, with one going as far to say that, to some extent, these new technology advancements are just a “marketing ploy to allow the carriers to raise prices".
Overall, the running theme was that consumers are happy with what they currently have, stating that their data and speeds are more than enough.
"For too long, the network has been a commodity, as consumers are satisfied with 4G. To justify the mass migration to 5G, operators can drive value by offering compelling lifestyle and business services made possible because of the 5G network, rather than hyper-focusing on the network itself." MATRIXX Software CEO, Glo Gordon explained.
It appears that 5G marketing could do with a rethink. Currently, most campaigns are widely focused on the amazing speeds that 5G can offer, or quirky visions of the future, such as the latest campaign from Three, but this clearly isn’t impressing consumers. From what consumers are saying, more real-life 5G use cases will be required, before they take the decision to invest in 5G phones and tariffs.
