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Even before coronavirus forced people to use video conferencing to stay in touch with each other, businesses expected improved video capabilities to be one of the biggest benefits of 5G. 

A report published by Nokia showed that 90% of users rated uninterrupted and high-quality video streams as a ‘very valuable’ aspect of the technology. Similarly, about 83% of businesses think video can be a compelling use case.

More about the survey

Nokia joined hands with Parks Associates to conduct this survey. It consisted of over 1,000 IT managers and leaders in the UK and the US. 

Respondents belong to a variety of industries including government, energy, manufacturing, and transportation.

What does the report say?

The report is based on data collected before the pandemic. The current situation has resulted in a huge growth in video conferencing. The demand for tools like Zoom has more than doubled among businesses and educational institutions. 

“We’re all seeing video is a very powerful tool,” said Josh Aroner, VP of marketing for Nokia’s CSP business. 

The survey highlighted a golden opportunity for service providers to rise up to the occasion and help businesses have a better understanding of the full potential of the new technology. 

According to the report, about 47% of businesses have started work on using 5G technology and about 65% are aware of it. On the other hand, about 340% said they’d like to know more about 5G and its benefits before they can consider using it.

“There are applications and use cases that you and I can’t even imagine yet,” Aroner said. 

Service providers, he said, can “step in and fill some of the gaps on the education side… in terms of the use cases they can bring to bear and the value — which is more than just faster video or a faster network. What is it that can change, in terms of how they run their business or the types of applications they run?”

How else can 5G help?

Improved video conferencing isn’t the only benefit of 5G. About 55% of respondents said they’d be interested in immersive experiences for education and employee training. 

A large number of businesses using connected equipment are interested in 5G technology. About 74% said they like the idea of using 5G technology for connected vehicles. 

Businesses are also interested in Fixed Wireless Access. Around 73% said they’d consider 5G if it can offer good rates and speeds.

Samsung seems to have taken a lead in this war but we’re yet to see how successful the technology will be.