5G Will Transform Mobile Entertainment, Provide MVPD Rivalry, Pai Says

5G has huge implications for mobile entertainment, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Thursday in remarks at a Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry conference. "Imagine how much more they will demand this content when you get rid of slow load times and mid-stream interruptions.” Pai stressed advances in virtual and augmented reality made possible by 5G. He said 5G's m-entertainment boom may provide more competition to MVPDs, online streamers and others: "When Netflix is trying to figure out how to offer a better value proposition than not only cable multisystem operators and other streaming video services, but also video-game makers, all competitors will have to step up their efforts." Pai said the FCC remains focused on cutting regulation and making more spectrum available for broadband. “We haven’t been eliminating rules for the sake of eliminating rules,” he said: “Our goals have been to match the rules to the times, and to promote innovation and investment in faster, better wired and wireless networks.” In 2019, consumers spent more than $120 billion on digital games worldwide, he said. “Last year, 52% of Gen Z and 46% of millennials in the United States regularly played video games for hour-plus stretches.”