Consumers Want to Cut Through the Hype About 5G

5G has become one of the most hyped buzzwords in the tech industry, but most consumers are still left wondering exactly what it is, when and where they'll get coverage, and what kinds of real world improvements they'll actually see when 5G cellular networks finally roll out across the country.

PCMag has run a lot of surveys on 5G to find out what consumers think and want out of the technology. In January, we surveyed 2,500 US consumers about which device-makers they think are leading in the race to 5G, and their biggest wants and concerns over cheap, broad availability of 5G connectivity. We also found a lot of 5G confusion about whether users already had 5G on their phones or in their homes (they didn't) and what that "5G E" indicator actually means.

A few months later, they're still confused. In a new survey of 1,528 U.S. consumers about 5G technology, we polled users on what carriers they think are leading as part of our larger Race to 5G series, which tracks 5G progress each month made by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The survey also found that while nearly a quarter of respondents want 5G, 41 percent of that group is concerned that 5G won't cover the area in which they live.

Given that most of the recent 5G testing we've done on carriers' networks has been localized in specific parts of urban areas with hurdles to completely reliable coverage, those concerns certainly carry weight.

The majority of respondents, 71 percent, think that right now, 5G is just hype.Thanks to stunts like the fake 5G indicators showing up on smartphones, 30 percent of the consumers we surveyed said they also distrust carriers in providing accurate information.

5G technology's promise of dramatically lower latency means it has the potential to facilitate a new wave of high-speed connectivity and technological innovation, from cloud gaming and IoT devices to smarter cities and more mobile, immersive AR and VR apps. As for what benefits consumers are most interested in, it starts with infrastructure.

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When asked what new applications of 5G they would be most excited to see improve, 22 percent of respondents chose infrastructure and public safety. New IoT applications came in second at 20 percent, followed by smart cities at 19 percent and healthcare at 18 percent.

Rounding out the list are 5G's effects on connected and self-driving vehicles at 13 percent, and improved AR and VR technology at 8 percent. For now, we'll settle for real 5G speeds and latency across consistent coverage maps. Everything beyond that is still hype.

What Is 5G?