Assessing early uptake and impacts of 5G mobile services for Australian consumers
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5904685 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rowan Wilken (0000-0002-3022-0675, RMIT University, corresponding author), James Meese (0000-0003-1910-6166, RMIT University), Catherine Middleton (0000-0003-1296-2613, Toronto Metropolitan University), Kieran Hegarty (0000-0003-4480-3561, RMIT University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-10 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Media International Australia (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1329-878X • E-ISSN: 2200-467X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1329878x251319053 |
| OpenAlex | W4407382019 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 34 |
The introduction of the fifth generation of mobile standards (5G) has promised faster speeds, greater network capacity and lower latency. 5G has only recently rolled out in many countries, so there is little empirical data on what individual consumers are doing with the speed, capacity and lower latency that 5G promises to offer. To examine early consumer take-up of 5G, we conducted a series of small-group discussions with individual users of 5G mobile services in Melbourne and regional Victoria, Australia. We found that coverage, connectivity and reliability of network connection remain live issues for many consumers, especially (but not exclusively) those in regional areas. Despite this, there is some evidence of incremental improvements in performance, even with a weakened 5G signal. Significantly, in cases where there's strong connectivity and reliability, there is also evidence that 5G provides consumers with an additional or alternative connectivity option to home broadband. Investigating this unique moment in the rollout of fifth-generation mobile standards is crucial in grasping the continuing challenges as well as the emerging and evolving economic and cultural possibilities of 5G services and applications in Australia
Advertising · Business · Advanced MIMO Systems Optimization · Digital Platforms and Economics · ICT Impact and Policies · Marketing
Shaping technology/building society
The Digital Disconnect
Cell Phone Culture
Doing Focus Groups
The Social shaping of technology
‘Too smart’
Revisiting Wireless Internet Connectivity
What it means to be “under-connected” in lower-income families
Focus Groups as Qualitative Research
The first-level digital divide shifts from inequalities in physical access to inequalities in material access
For better and for worse
Rural development in the digital age
Digital inequalities in rural Australia
The Media and Communications in Australia
Closing the digital gap for remote First Nations communities
A new rural digital divide? Taking stock of geographical digital inclusion in Australia
Spatial justice, mobile futures and First Nations telecommunications landscapes in regional and rural Australia
Focus Groups
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |