‘Premature State’ of 5G Networks ‘Barrier’ to Mass Smartphone Adoption: NPD

U.S. 5G awareness is up to mass scale, but fewer than one in five consumers understand differences among 5G network band types, reported NPD Monday. It canvassed 5,100 adult cellphone users last month, finding 90% were aware of 5G network deployments; only18% understood differences between mid-band and millimeter-wave. Awareness of the different network options was higher among Android users (45%) than iOS subscribers (40%). Two-thirds are interested in buying 5G smartphones, with purchase intent higher among iPhone users (40%) than Android owners (33%). “The current premature state of 5G networks in terms of speed and coverage will continue to be a barrier in the mass adoption of 5G smartphones,” said NPD.