Maximising the benefits of 5G - the cornerstone of our digital economy?

Analysis by economists such as PwC has suggested the total impact of 5G standalone could be worth £43 billion to the UK economy by 2030, as it “helps improve efficiency and productivity, limits waste and contributes to achieving net-zero targets”.

That’s why the UK Government wants to deliver nationwide standalone 5G coverage to all populated areas of the country by 2030.

While the benefits should be felt right across our economy, the manufacturing, health and care, utilities, logistics and consumer sectors repeatedly come up as examples of where the impact could be greatest.

But despite these estimations of significant productivity boosts, among other benefits, the truth is that no one really knows just how much impact 5G will have on the economy, and most forecasts are wildly speculative.

That’s because realising the benefits of improved 5G mobile connectivity relies not only on the UK’s wireless network operators and infrastructure providers investing in high-quality public and private 5G networks, but also on ensuring businesses, the public sector and consumers actually adopt these new technologies and 5G solutions at scale.

Part of the challenge is that there is a general lack of awareness of how standalone 5G can accelerate the operational efficiency of a business or organisation. This is partly because we are yet to see any use cases being delivered at the scale necessary to begin to demonstrate the billions of pounds in benefits that the studies have suggested. And until that understanding improves, it’s difficult for providers to make the business case for investment.

The UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy highlights the millions of additional pounds of public and private funding going into rolling out 5G across the UK. We must ensure that such a significant investment leads to real tangible benefits for businesses, households and the public sector across the country.

Evaluating the impacts and benefits that come from an investment is often thought of as a process that happens after a project has been implemented. However, to maximise its impact, it is important that evaluation should inform thinking throughout the investment and policy making lifecycle, from inception right through to delivery and completion.

In this way, policymakers can understand where small changes in the way a project is delivered can maximise the impact of an investment. We know 5G can bring significant economic gains across the UK, and we know the value of these benefits will vary from project to project. However, to successfully harness the full economic, social and environmental potential of 5G, we need not just continued investment in future-proofed mobile networks, but also diligent evaluation of that investment and of our policy making.

To encourage wider adoption of 5G technology, we need to significantly raise awareness and engage with industry to demonstrate the benefits of use cases. This means using 5G technology where we can for the delivery of public services, such as in health and care and smart cities.

If we can do all of this, we can unlock a more productive – and therefore more prosperous – future for both businesses and communities.