A 5G report commissioned by Boldyn Networks found that 71 percent of decision-makers at service provider and public and private sector organizations in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland feel more confident in 5G performance than ever before. They said that availability of 5G directly influences the performance levels within their organizations.
Their confidence, however, was accompanied by acknowledgement of challenges to increasing 5G coverage and capacity. The report suggests that a neutral host approach may be a good path forward for network densification.
“Neutral hosts: The answer to 5G densification in delivering an interconnected future” found that respondents in the U.S. (86 percent) and in the U.K. and Ireland (64 percent) say 5G availability now has a direct impact on performance within their organization. Seventy-eight percent of respondents believe 5G will deliver optimal performance within the next year, with U.S. respondents being the most optimistic.
5G Report
The respondents identified challenges: CAPEX requirements (cited by 29 percent), achieving ubiquitous connectivity (27 percent) and laying new fiber (24 percent). Almost all decision makers (96 percent) faced challenges deploying 5G infrastructure, with 80 percent expecting to exceed their planned spend.
Despite the challenges, there is a clear desire to embark on 5G rollout quickly. The study found that 47 percent of respondents say increasing the deployment of macro cells and small cells was a priority. Sixty percent of operators and public and private sector organizations have a clear network densification strategy, with U.S.-based organizations being more advanced on that front.
The report suggests that neutral host approach may be the way forward for network densification. Ninety-two percent of respondents say they are likely to use neutral hosts to ease 5G densification. Increased cost effectiveness, assuring sustainability credentials, and time efficiency are the three top rationales for this approach, the study shows.
Sapio Research prepared the report. Respondents included 200 telecommunications decision-makers, 200 5G enterprise experts, and 200 public sector IT decision-makers evenly split between the U.K./Ireland and the U.S.