One of Huawei’s rotating CEOs has publicly tempered consumer expectations for 5G, suggesting it may not deliver a dramatic change compared with previous mobile generations.
Eric Xu spoke at the Huawei Analyst Summit (#HAS2018) in Shenzhen, warning that consumers are unlikely to perceive a “fundamental difference” between 5G and 4G. For operators considering premium pricing for 5G services, convincing customers could prove difficult if 5G does not offer obvious, tangible improvements for everyday use.
Speed is one area where some users will see real benefits.
Most consumers use mobile data to load websites, and for this task 4G already feels nearly instantaneous. The leap from 3G to 4G was obvious and easy to demonstrate. By contrast, the millisecond improvements in page load times that 5G can bring will not be a compelling reason for many users to upgrade.
Where 5G will make a clearer difference is for people who use mobile networks for home broadband or for business on the go. Those users will notice much faster downloads and uploads on 5G compared with 4G, and gamers in particular will benefit from higher speeds and lower latency.
“We do have expectations on 5G, but maybe those expectations are not as big as some people might think,” Xu said in his keynote. “5G is just one product line at Huawei. It is a natural evolution of the technology from 2G to 3G to 4G and now 5G.”
Analyst Ed Gubbins of Current Analysis observed that Huawei’s cautious stance on 5G stands in sharp contrast to the more optimistic messaging from some rivals.
Given that 4G infrastructure remains adequate for the majority of everyday use cases, Xu does not expect 5G to be rolled out as nationwide coverage immediately. Instead, he envisions more targeted, localized 5G deployments in areas where increased capacity, speed, and bandwidth are genuinely needed.
Do you agree with Xu’s expectations for 5G? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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