Excited about the arrival of 5G?
We are! Faster and with the ability to stream more high quality video content means we’re waiting in keen anticipation.
EE announced at the end of last year the first six cities to receive 5G would be London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester with the networks due to go live in the middle of this year, that’s just a few months away.
5G’s arrival will impact how we use our smartphones dramatically, firstly through making it easier for consumers to watch video content on their handsets. For automotive retailers already using CitNOW to deliver personal video content to inboxes and mobiles, and on their websites to showcase used car stock, this speed boost enables them to up the quality by several notches.
In 2018, CitNOW hosted almost 10 million videos on its platform (9,941,391 to be exact!) reflecting the prominence of video in retailer communications. 5G will deliver a better experience for the viewer. In turn we expect video to become the main method of communication between retailers and their customers.
5G > 4G
Much faster than the current standard, 5G is great news for the viewer who will benefit from reduced latency (the time it takes for a video to be clicked and then to play). Meanwhile, retailer staff tasked with uploading footage and imagery will find the process quicker.
BT-owned EE began testing its 5G network at Canary Wharf – one of the country’s busiest places, 150,000 people pass through everyday – and demand on the network is high in October last year.
But whilst the excitement is almost palpable for us techies and smartphone addicts, it will be some time before 5G is rolled out to the country. EE though has promised another 10 cities – Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Bristol- will have 5G by the end of this year, transmitting data at speeds which could be faster than 10 gigabits per second.
What next for video?
We are seeing retailers become more experimental and innovative in their video usage. Retailers are pushing the boundaries out and using video to cover more customer touchpoints. The arrival of 5G will have a crucial role to play in video’s wider adoption. We believe these three trends – more diverse use of video, wider consumer acceptance and 5G, are completely entwined. Each is influencing the other enabling each to gain more traction.
Are you just as excited as we are for the arrival of 5G?
