Ansys Survey Sheds Light on Consumers' Take on 5G

Ansys enlisted Atomik Research and its team of MRS-certified researchers to conduct an online survey back in March 2020. The sample included 16,037 adults age 18 and over, from the UK, U.S., DACH (Austria, Germany and Switzerland), France, Sweden, Japan, China and India.

What is 5G?

When asked, "Do you know what 5G is?," 78% of respondents said "yes." But, when we looked across geographies, we saw big differences between those in the know and those who answered "no:"

• 92% in China vs. 66% in Japan responded "yes."
• 1 in 4 in the U.S. answered "no."

What's in It for Me?

Across all geographies and generations, respondents believe "faster downloads" (#1) and elimination of "network issues" (#2) will have the most positive impact on their lives.

However, while the U.S. and Europe reported "increased capacity" as a bigger positive than an improved "work from home" (WFH) experience, APAC countries reported the opposite.

5G Access Expectations

• Only 11% of respondents reported having access to 5G, while 42% expect 5G access to take one year or longer.
• 16% of millennials have access.
• 58% believe they’ll have access within a year.
• Baby boomers are less optimistic: Only 5% have access; 29% believe they’ll have access within a year.

Despite the Hype

To would-be consumers, 5G is touted as a game-changer. However, when asked if the excitement was “warranted” (and a drastic improvement over 4G) or “overblown,” only 41% chose the former.

The British, by far, deem 5G “overblown,” while the Chinese and Indian respondents overwhelmingly believe the hype is warranted.

No Worries

Survey participants in all geographies—with the exception of APAC—most often selected “no concerns around 5G” from the list of provided responses.

• 46% of respondents from Sweden have “no concerns” versus from China (15%) and India (12%).
• 44% of baby boomers have “no concerns” versus 23% of millennials.

Respondents, most notably in China and India, were most concerned that 5G will be “too expensive”; concern about battery drainage was a close second.

Show Me the Money

Do you think 5G will be positive for the economy? It depends whom you ask—and which gender, generation and country boxes they ticked.

While 44% of respondents believe the impact will be positive, 28% “don’t know” (16% think neither positive nor negative, 11% think “negative”).

Click here for more survey results.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.