Qatar has positioned itself as a pioneer in ICT technology as the rollout of 5G network across the country continues. As 5G uptake in many parts of the world bridges the milestone from early adopters to mass adoption, the consumers’ growing commitment to 5G and their expectations on next generation are on rise.
The Ericsson ConsumerLab 5G: The Next Wave report shed light on the key consumer trends driving 5G adoption in Qatar. The report said that perceived 5G availability is emerging as the new satisfaction benchmark. While Qatar has 5G population coverage of 100 percent, only 39 percent of 5G users typically perceive being connected to 5G more than 50 percent of the time and of those with high 5G perceived availability, 78 percent say they are satisfied with 5G.
According to the report, consumers notice a differentiated performance on 5G when compared to 4G. Smartphone users in 21 out of 34 markets appear satisfied with 5G network performance in comparison to 4G. Increasing 5G availability for current users will see a two times improvement in share of users who are satisfied with their network experience in Qatar.
At least 510 million consumers across 37 markets are likely to take up 5G in 2023. “Although inflation is rising, 37 percent of users in Qatar intend to sign up for 5G subscription in 2023. 45 percent of them already have a 5G phone and 92 percent that is around 9 in 10 existing 5G users in Qatar say that despite rising costs they are not willing to go back to 4G,” said the report.
Qatar’s 5G adoption is still driven by tech early adopters – 26 percent already are on 5G today. When 5G penetration reaches approximately 15 percent, the next wave of users emerges. These are mainstream tech adopters who are value conscious and demanding. Four times as many 5G early adopters compared to potential subscribers identify innovative applications and services as their main reason for signing up. The next wave of 5G users will focus more on higher speed as well as more
coverage.
The report also noted that 5G users have increased service usage over the past two years. “With 5G pushing up usage of cloud gaming and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) the demand for faster uplink throughput will be key to the overall immersive user experience. There are twice as many 5G users in 2022 compared to 2020, and they are typically engaging with more than three services compared to 2020. The 5G monetisation models are expected to evolve as consumers want tailored network capabilities for specific needs in 5G plans. 93 percent of 5G users consider innovative 5G experiences to be important inclusion on their mobile broadband plans,” it said.
It added that the 5G adoption is setting the path to the metaverse in the future. Usage of metaverse apps/services is growing along with 5G uptake, highlighting that 5G users on average spend 35 minutes more per week in metaverse-related services than 4G users. In Qatar, 1.5 times more 5G users engage in metaverse activities on a weekly basis than 4G users. AR usage is set to increase going forward. In Qatar, 46 percent of 4G users say they will start or increase using AR applications in real-world once sign up for 5G.
It added, 5G users with current experience on XR will set the pace for metaverse adoption. 1.2 times more 5G user versus 4G user believe AR apps will move from smartphones to headsets within 2 years. 91 percent of existing iPhone users on 5G network are interested in purchasing a lightweight mixed reality headset.
Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of Ericsson ConsumerLab, said,” The scale of the research gives us an authentic insight into consumers’ views and attitudes to 5G. The report shows that the next wave of potential 5G users have different expectations from the technology compared to early adopters. Overall, consumers see engaging with 5G as an essential part of their future lifestyles.”
“It is interesting to note that 5G is emerging as an important enabler for early adopters to embrace metaverse-related services, such as socialising, playing and buying digital items in interactive 3D virtual gaming platforms. The amount of time spent on augmented reality apps by 5G users has also doubled over the past two years, compared to 4G users,” he added.
