5G for the enterprise: headway, hurdles and the horizon for operators

The digital transformation of enterprises is accelerating. Enterprises across verticals are increasingly adopting enabling technologies such as cloud, edge, AI and IoT. Beyond the shock of the pandemic, they are facing new external pressures such as disruption to supply chains, rising energy costs, new work patterns and compliance with sustainability targets. Digital technologies are helping enterprises address such challenges.

For operators, this represents an incremental opportunity to monetise 5G deployments. As costly 5G networks are deployed and traditional telco revenues stagnate, opportunities in digital services and the enterprise are seen as key to rebuilding growth.

This report provides a reality check on progress so far with enterprise use cases for 5G, looks at who is driving momentum for 5G in enterprises, assesses how operators should shape their strategies to tackle the opportunity, and considers the factors hindering wider innovation and adoption in the 5G for enterprise space. It also provides a selection of case studies to shine some light on operators’ strategies and business models, as well as how they are launching new services.