Ericsson expects four million Malaysians to sign up for 5G in 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: About four million Malaysians are expected to sign up for the fifth-generation (5G) broadband cellular network service in 2023.

According to Ericsson's largest consumer study, 5G consumer readiness is high in Malaysia, with 43 per cent of users in the country intending to sign up for 5G in 2023 and 25 per cent already having a 5G-ready device.

"This shows a strong inclination towards 5G adoption. The promise of new innovative applications and services is a key factor in the 5G adoption rate.

"One in every five early adopters expect innovative applications, and almost twice as many 5G potential users are looking for strong network coverage," it said in a statement in conjunction with the release of Ericsson ConsumerLab's "5G: The Next Wave" report.

The report said 87 per cent of the 5G users in Malaysia consider innovative 5G experiences to be an essential inclusion in their mobile broadband plans.

It also noted that mobile service providers must reflect consumer demands from 5G offerings and move from best effort to improved quality of experience and content experiences.

Among key trends outlined in the report is that 5G adoption would be inflation resilient, where at least 510 million consumers across 37 markets are likely to take up 5G in 2023.

"The report shows that the next wave of potential 5G users has different expectations from the technology compared to early adopters.

"Overall, consumers see engaging with 5G as an essential part of their future lifestyles," said Ericsson ConsumerLab head Jasmeet Singh Sethi.

Ericsson said over 49,000 consumers in 37 countries were interviewed in the study, the largest global 5G-related consumer survey in the industry to date and the largest consumer survey conducted by the company on any topic.

"The survey scope is representative of the opinions of about 1.7 billion consumers worldwide, including 430 million 5G subscribers," it said.

-- BERNAMA