Something else that is interesting to ponder: as 5G is being installed, 4G is getting better and faster as well. Think about how your 4G connections are faster today than last year. Wireless continues to build on itself getting faster year after year.
Wireless network builders make this possible. Companies like Qualcomm, Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Oracle and so on.
Today, we are in the early stages of the 5G revolution which will span over the next decade and beyond with 6G and more.
The wireless industry is in a continual state of advancement.
5G icon on smartphone screen is not real, only marketing
Remember, 5G life-changing features are still coming. They will just take time.
In the meantime, we must be careful not to rub users the wrong way.
Users see 5G on the top of their smartphone screen and think they are connected. However, in most cases they are not. The 5G icon is always on. It’s just a marketing message for most users today.
When marketing messages stretch reality too far, it can lose value after customers discover the truth. And they always discover the truth, eventually.
The point is users don’t really care about the name 5G. Industry players are all wrapped up in the term. Users just want the speed and the features it brings to their life.
Speed test your 5G with apps like Ookla Speedtest
If you want to really learn the speed you are getting, use one of the many speed testing apps like Speedtest by Ookla. There are many similar apps.
Just remember, the speed you see is only for that single session at that location. Once you move, you are in another cell site and that may not be updated to 5G yet.
So, 5G is real and it is being installed nationwide, and in fact worldwide. It will change our lives because of the technology that is being developed.
We are just not there yet.
If you are connected to 5G today, enjoy. Just don’t expect it to change your life. Not yet.
Verizon Business, AT&T Business, Xfinity Business 5G services
The change-our-lives stuff comes from apps and services still to be introduced.
An example is Uber and Lyft. They were made possible by 4G speeds. They will get better with 5G speeds and immediacy. There are also countless other apps made possible by 4G. Even more will be made possible with 5G.
Consider what will happen when healthcare, automotive, retail, and many other vertical industries are all connected and interactive.
These are just a few of the amazing, life impacting technologies that we will be using in coming years. These are being developed today.
Plus, every other company in every other industry over the next several years will also transform themselves with 5G.
Investors watch 5G using growth wave theory
I often discuss the growth wave theory. Wireless and 5G are on the growth wave.
As each growth wave is introduced, it is on the rising side. Over time it ultimately comes down the falling side. Companies and investors need to be prepared and have the next growth wave started.
There are many companies we have seen ride this growth wave. Some successfully, others, not so much.
Example, Apple, Google, Samsung and others are still on the rising side of their growth wave.
On the other hand, companies like Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry and so many others, who were once leaders, are now on the falling side of the growth wave.
5G will change our lives over time, just not today
So, the answer to the proverbial question is yes. Yes, 5G will change our lives, but it will take time. So, it’s important to keep our expectations based in reality. Let the industry take it’s course and unfold over time as it always has.
At this time, 5G and wireless is an enormous growth opportunity for every investor and every company in every industry. Just be aware of companies on the growing side and the falling side of the growth wave.
