According to Uswitch research, while 32 per cent of Britons now own a 5G handset, 16 per cent of them believe that the technology is overhyped, has not yet reached its full potential, and is still in its infancy because they have little or no access to it. Some 41 per cent have reported faster speeds or more stable connections since switching to 5G.
While 17 per cent of rural users have never been able to connect to the 5G network, urban users have had fewer difficulties. In Yorkshire, which has some of the worst connections in the UK, only 48 per cent of people say they have reliable access to 4G and 14 per cent say they have frequent access to 2G, while in Glasgow, one of the UK’s 5G hotspots, 49 per cent of users claim to regularly receive the 5G network.
5G advocates argue that lower latency and faster speeds will enable more applications for consumers, such as mobile virtual and augmented reality, but those without access may disagree, with only 23 per cent of consumers planning to buy or upgrade a 5G handset within the next two years.
Many people believe that 5G connectivity will greatly benefit the metaverse, as the 3G network across the UK will be phased out from next year, freeing up bandwidth for 4G and 5G services. However, most people are still not interested in the concept, and a recent report predicting that most business projects in this virtual space will be completed by 2025 has not helped to fuel enthusiasm.
The sources for this piece include an article in TechSpot.