The push for 5G+: More supply than demand?

5G+ promises super high speeds, massive capacity, and ultra low latency for a future where everything digital feels instantaneous. However, beyond the marketing spiel, is there actually much demand?

Most of us aren’t waking up in the morning thinking, “I desperately need lower latency today!” Consumers typically do not explicitly ask for low latency, they just care about outcomes like smooth gaming, high-quality video calls, or uninterrupted streaming.

Consumers want good experiences, not technical jargon

For a lot of what we do day-to-day – browsing the web, scrolling through social media, and streaming a bit of video – even trusty 4G networks have been doing a decent job for most people.

The jump to 5G for such things provides a nice boost, something tech enthusiasts like our dear readers might notice, but is it fundamentally changing the game for everyone?

Where you do see a bit more of a natural pull towards advanced 5G capabilities is in certain, more enthusiastic corners. As I can attest, mobile gaming is a big one. If you’re into cloud gaming services, where the game itself is running on a server miles away, then yes, slashing latency makes a massive difference and can mean life or death (virtually, thankfully.)

Of course, there’s the world of augmented and virtual reality. However, those use cases haven’t quite taken over the world in the way some predicted. They could drive consumer demand long-term, but it’s not happening soon.

However, even with these examples, there’s still a bit of an awareness issue. Surveys have shown that most consumers are unclear on what even vanilla 5G offers beyond “faster speeds.”

Businesses get 5G+, but they’re taking their time

Switch gears to the business world, and it’s a different story. Here, you do find companies that can see very clearly how these super-reliable, ultra-fast, low-delay connections would genuinely help them.

Think factories using robots that need instant communication, logistics firms tracking everything in real-time, hospitals exploring remote diagnostics, or even media companies broadcasting live events. They’re looking at things like private 5G networks and running powerful computing right at the “edge” of the network.

But, and it’s a significant “but,” businesses tend to move carefully. They need to see a proper return on their investment. So, while the interest is definitely there, and the potential is huge, it’s more of a gradual build-up than a sudden gold rush. It takes time to test things, to integrate new tech, and to be sure it’s all going to pay off.

Telcos want to be more than the delivery van

So, if consumers aren’t loudly demanding these specific 5G+ features, and businesses are taking a more measured approach, why all the big push? Well, a pretty big chunk of it comes from the telcos themselves.

For years, the amount of money they make from each of us for basic mobile calls and data has been pretty flat, or even going down in some places. In a market where everyone’s phone contract looks pretty similar, they need something new to stand out and to keep the business healthy. They’ve spent a fortune building these 5G networks, and they need to make that money back, and then some.

This isn’t just about laying new cables; it’s a strategic game. The telcos want to be more than just the “pipes” that deliver the internet; they want to offer services on top of those pipes. Think about private networks for big companies, edge computing services, and managed solutions for specific industries. 

For telcos, a lot of these advanced 5G+ services are supply-driven initiatives to open up new revenue opportunities beyond consumer data plans and defend against OTT (over-the-top) players like Netflix and gaming platforms.

In other words: telcos want a bigger piece of the digital pie, rather than just being the delivery van.

Don’t forget the rulemakers

And there’s one more group stirring the pot: the regulators and policymakers.

Governments and the bodies that hand out the licences for mobile signals often have their own ideas about what 5G should do. They might insist on features that help public safety services, or demand network coverage in remote countryside areas.

Sometimes, national plans for things like smart cities rely heavily on having a really good 5G network in place. This can mean telcos are pushed to roll out certain features even if there isn’t a massive queue of customers waiting for them just yet.

Understanding the push for 5G+

When you piece it all together, what’s driving the push for 5G+ services? Well, it’s not one single thing. It’s probably best described as a mix of supply-push and enterprise-driven demand-pull. There isn’t much direct interest or desire from individual consumers.

For most of us, these advanced features are nice extras, but perhaps not game-changers we’re actively seeking out—and many of us don’t fully grasp what they mean beyond just “faster.” We’ll appreciate it when our game is more responsive, but only the techies will be thinking, “Ah, that’s the low latency kicking in!”

For businesses, the interest is definitely more concrete, tied to real-world improvements they can make. But it’s a marathon, not a sprint, for them to fully embrace and scale it all up.

And for the telcos? Well, for them, it’s a strategic imperative. They’re trying to build for the future, make sure their huge investments pay off, and find new ways to make money in a world where just selling data isn’t enough anymore. It’s their way of staying ahead of the curve.

At the end of the day, the 5G+ story feels like one where the technology is often being built out ahead of clear, widespread demand. The hope is that as these amazing capabilities become available, clever people will invent new things that truly need them.

Once those amazing new apps and services arrive, then the demand from all of us – consumers and businesses alike – will follow. Until that point, it’s the telcos’ ambitions, the specific needs of certain industries, and a nudge from the policymakers that are shaping the road ahead.

(Photo by James Yarema)

See also: Samsung grabs more 3GPP seats to shape future mobile standards

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Tags: 5G, 5G+, connectivity, edge computing, mobile, networks, private 5g, telecoms