Nearly half of American adults still haven’t heard of 5G, according to a new study conducted by cellular signal booster manufacturer SureCall. While some 95-percent of consumers in the United States own a cell phone, only 56-percent of them are familiar with the idea of the fifth generation of mobile networks, and even fewer understand the implications of the upcoming wireless revolution, as per the same report. Out of those with knowledge of the term itself, more than half primarily associate it with faster mobile service speeds, whereas 15-percent said they expect the technology to lower the number of dropped phone calls.
The survey also explored consumer thoughts on 5G fixed wireless access, a broadband alternative that only Verizon has been pursuing in a truly aggressive manner in the United States so far. A wide variety of industry analysts and even network operators expressed doubts about FWA in the past, with the new study suggesting a similar sentiment is present among consumers. While millennials are by far the most open toward the technology, only 13-percent of adults younger than 35 said they would be willing to completely replace their Wi-Fi broadband with 5G should the latter service allow for faster data transfer rates. In total, more than half of consumers in the country wouldn’t be willing to replace their home Internet with a 5G-based solution and 40-percent aren’t indecisive on the matter, as per the same research.
Even those who are somewhat familiar with the concept of 5G haven’t really thought about its implications or considered how the next generation of wireless connectivity might affect their use of technologies moving forward. Despite the far-reaching benefits that 5G is widely expected to provide, 48-percent of the interviewees said they would not be willing to pay more for 5G service regardless of how it improves their everyday digital experience, whereas 35-percent said they aren’t sure whether they’d be prepared to do so. SureCall’s online survey encompassed 1,137 U.S. residents aged 18 and up, with its relatively small sample indicating the company’s findings may not be entirely representative of reality.