Reinvention takes time. There’s no way to rush it, but there are ways to help enable it.
We’re only in the first few years of the 5G decade, which is expected to have a staggeringly positive economic and human impact. It’s rolling out at a rate that far exceeds what we saw with 4G, with over 90% of Americans – or 300 million people — now covered with 5G. That’s roughly 40% faster than our country’s rollout of 4G.
But one thing is clear: We can’t go into a 5G world with a 4G mindset. 5G and advanced connectivity will transform existing industries and enable entirely new ones that we can’t even predict – and the possibilities go way past what 4G is capable of. That means we need to plan smartly and nimbly. The potential benefits for our economy and society are profound, and we’ll need to work together to unlock them.
To discover what’s possible, we all need to think differently – not just in terms of decades, but in how this technology will emerge, be used and evolve. As the future gets more immersive, we need to be thinking beyond download speeds and latency. Everything will be Connected, Gamified and Human – and unpacking what that means is a start towards thinking differently.
Watch a virtual discussion from the AT&T Policy Forum on current happenings with 5G: what wireless innovation is delivering today and a glimpse into the 5G future.
