COVID-19 pandemic boosts 5G enterprise use cases, study finds

Global technology market advisory firm ABI Research has found that several new use cases enabled by 5G deployments have been of great benefit to enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic and should help spur deployments.

The tech analyst firm noted that as COVID-19 continues to spread, more than a billion people around the world are in full or partial lockdown, confined to their homes as governments work to control the spread of the virus. ABI said that during this difficult period, all telecom network operators have seen a 30%-40% increase in fixed and mobile data traffic.

“So far, telecom networks appear to be coping, and the over-provisioning measures by operators to deploy networks are paying off,” explained Dimitris Mavrakis, research director at ABI Research. “User-perceived speeds and user experience may have declined, but the networks are still operating at acceptable levels.”

However, the analyst noted that lower overall consumer confidence, potential supply chain disruptions and the likely migration of mobile broadband traffic to fixed broadband in busy urban areas would mean a slowdown in the deployment of 5G for consumer use cases.

ABI Research predicts that 5G network capital expenditure (CAPEX) is likely to fall by 10% during 2020, but adds that this decline will be offset later in 2020 and 2021, when operators will increase spending to make up for the delay. The firm also expects that the worst consequences of the pandemic crisis will subside in June 2020, after which the world will slowly return to a "new normal" that will reflect much of the previous routine.

Meanwhile, as ABI’s Mavrakis noted, “5G in China is illustrating new use cases that can deliver real benefits to businesses.” The analyst said China has illustrated that 5G is being used as a key technology in new hospitals and in ways that meet network needs that other technologies can’t. For example, China Mobile deployed 5G at Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital, which was quickly built to respond to the outbreak.

“The operator claims that the network was completed in three days, including network planning, site survey, design, fiber installation for backhaul, and base station deployment and commissioning,” said Mavrakis. “The 5G network provides high-speed and reliable connectivity for medical staff to perform their tasks and enables new use cases such as data collection, remote diagnosis, and remote monitoring. Another use case is AIS in Thailand, which connects hospitals with 5G and is even trialing 5G-connected robots to treat patients,” he continued.

ABI notes that at least 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) technology can now quickly deploy broadband connectivity for new hospitals and enhance broadband network capabilities for existing hospitals.

“In addition, these connections can provide the foundation for advanced services such as remote diagnostics, outpatient treatment, and primary care,” Mavrakis explained. “At the same time, the combination of advanced data collection and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms will play an important role, especially in more technically complex, edge device-centric use cases. 5G’s low latency and high throughput characteristics will help improve the accuracy and reliability of data collection, model updates, and device predictions.”

The ABI study concluded that the use of 5G during the pandemic has demonstrated that the new technology can bring tangible benefits to businesses in many verticals, most importantly healthcare and public safety services.

The analyst expects these early use cases to demonstrate to multiple enterprise verticals that 5G technology can quickly provide connectivity to new areas and enable use cases that were previously impossible. For example, 5G could enable fast-growing applications such as remote temperature checks, continuous communications for first responders, as well as patient transfers, outpatient clinics and temporary hospitals, and ways to repurpose networks, the analyst said.

ABI Research expects 5G enterprise applications to only accelerate, starting with enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), which will provide the foundation for network slicing, reliable networks, and more. “The spread of COVID-19 is indeed a global challenge, but it has also become a platform to illustrate that 5G is designed for more than just mobile broadband networks for consumers,” concluded ABI’s Mavrakis.