This was published 4 years ago
Australians won't pay premium for 5G: survey
Australians are unlikely to pay large premiums to access new high-speed 5G mobile networks that have become the focus of major telecommunications companies looking to new ways to grow revenue as the National Broadband Network roll out finishes.
Deloitte’s annual Mobile Consumer Survey has found about 84 per cent of people surveyed were not willing to spend $15 extra for 5G services, which is considered a typical extra fee charged for the new technology. More than 2000 people were surveyed in June in a nationally representative online poll.
Australians might not be willing to pay big money for 5G.Credit: AP
Rolling out higher speed mobile networks has become a major focus of Telstra and the major telco's Telstra 2022 strategy as the business grapples with declining revenues from more competition in mobile and disruption in fixed line services from the NBN Co. Rival Singtel Optus is also rolling out a 5G network and has not ruled out an extra fee.
The new technology is considered by those in the industry to be crucial for the "internet of things" where smart devices in the home and workplace are connected and for spurring on innovation in driverless cars, robotics and augmented reality.
Deloitte partner and national telecommunications lead Peter Corbett said in a statement that the benefits of 5G were not as clear as those of 4G to customers, with the current generation offering fast enough speeds.
"For now consumers are more focused on a reliable network, rather than a faster one, posing a real challenge for the marketing and adoption of 5G," Mr Corbett said in a statement.
"We have also seen a drop in the hype consumers are experiencing with 5 per cent fewer people looking to switch to 5G when it’s available or upon hearing good things in 2019 versus 2018," he said, adding this survey seemed to point to a "period of disillusionment" with tech.