5G and the World Cup: reimagining the possible

Globally, we estimate 5G take-up reached 12% of the population as of December 2022, although this is considerably higher (30–40%) in vanguard countries such as South Korea and the US. 5G adoption is a matter of when not if, and we expect it to move on a five-year doubling rate – faster than that of LTE or 3G. However, upward migration means nothing without upward monetisation.
Price premiums will provide some of this, but demonstrations of genuinely new functionality that people like and find useful is ultimately what will sustain revenue growth in the consumer segment. Sports and entertainment is an important focus area, and this piece focuses on the recent football World Cup in Qatar as a marker for 5G network capabilities.