In one of the largest telecom markets in the world, roughly one in five US adults have not heard any information about 5G technology. So, what do
US consumers know about the usefulness of the next-gen network?
According to data from a recent YouGov whitepaper that delves into global attitudes around 5G, 44% of American consumers believe that 5G will improve mobile data connection and 33% feel it will improve communication across devices. However, a substantial minority (26%) of US adults don’t know what it’ll be used for, which outweighs the proportion of those who think it’ll be used for smart homes (24%) and health care (20%). Activity tracking wearables like smart watches and glasses feature lower on the list at 19%, along with applying to car and transport connections. What’s perhaps striking is that on top of the quarter of Americans who don’t know how 5G will be useful, nearly one in seven US adults (14%) are of the opinion that 5G technology will not be useful at all.
Perhaps it follows, then, that a significant proportion (67%) of US adults are not likely to change their network and upgrade to 5G, with 50% telling us that they are not at all likely. Consumers aged 18 to 29 are more likely to change their network (19%) with a gradual reduction in this proportion over age groups.
An average of one in five US adults across all age groups are on the fence about changing their mobile network to be able to access 5G technology.
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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.
