With the marketing of new 5G equipment and packages, the questions of the first customers and early adopters will not fail to flood the contact centers.
Here are a few comments from Jalil Lahlou, Director of the Telecom & High-tech business unit at Webhelp.

1. The 5G early adopters will want to take advantage of their latest high-end smartphones.

Three prerequisites are necessary in order to benefit from 5G: being in a well connected area, having a compatible smartphone and the availability of a 5G package. It will not be necessary to change your SIM card. The latest generation smartphones have the ability to access and switch between 4G and 5G networks when needed. In addition, some operators will push usage by offering 2 SIM cards for users who also have a tablet, connected watch or compatible laptop – the offer is expected to grow progressively. Ambiguities concerning the dual SIM mode will most likely have to be resolved.

2. A number of early adopters in 5G have shown an interest in video streaming.

Netflix, Amazon and other video streaming services will be among the first beneficiaries. The quality and fluidity of the display will benefit from the high speed of 5G. Similarly, fans of video downloads will experience a significant reduction in download times. On paper, 4K and 8K video enthusiasts who want to share them will also be delighted. But in reality, everything will depend on the actual speeds…

3 – What’s holding back the 5G market? When will the “real” flows come?

As far as disruptive factors are concerned, the question will certainly be asked: when will the speeds promised by 5G, i.e. similar to the fibre (with the theoretical) maximum speed announced exceeding 1Gbps arrive? It should be remembered that in 2021 5G will have a limited speed (5G non-standalone, i.e. coupled with 4G) and that it will be necessary to wait for the operator’s network to evolve to take advantage of the “true” 5G standalone network.

4 – 5G will bring benefits to gamers

5G promises shorter latency times. In other words, the fluidity of interactions will be greatly improved, which should benefit fans of online video games and cloud gaming (Microsoft Xcloud). However, it is not certain that the offer will be very extensive: some publishers could delay the distribution of their games to avoid disappointing their audience – as the current performance of 5G is not sufficient. But, in the short to medium term, gamers equipped with hyper-powerful smartphones, coupled with 5G, will definitely seize the day!

5 – Connected objects and 5G: who should get involved?

Online connected items will certainly be the big winners of the move to 5G. Thanks to this new technology, the possibilities of data exchange will be enhanced. For the general public, the 3 areas that should eventually be of benefit are connected automobiles, connected healthcare and connected homes. However, it is in the field of industrial connected devices that 5G promises to be revolutionary, by enabling massive connectivity.

6 – And regarding some worrying rumours.

The 5G is the subject of lively debates, not only in France. The questions that have been raised by customers and prospects regarding the health and environmental debate. At present, contrary to official claims, 175 studies have been carried out worldwide on the subject of 5G. For the time being, as far as millimetre waves (26-28 GHz band) are concerned, it is true that there is a lack of scientific data on their possible health impact. But these frequency ranges will probably not be deployed until 2025, and independent studies are underway. For his part, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard has a clear position: “I fully agree that we should not rush to use them, and wait for work to be done”.

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