Companies rapidly adopting 5G even before standards are finalised

Ixia has revealed the findings of its recent survey that delved into 5G and its future impact on businesses.

The network testing, visibility and security provider reported the survey uncovered rapid 5G adoption across the globe, with 96 percent of large technology companies planning to leverage leverage 5G and 83 percent intending to have 5G solutions deployed within the next 24 months.

Ixia commissioned the survey while Dimensional Data conducted it, polling nearly 300 senior level executives at enterprises and service providers from around the world with more than 1,000 employees about their 5G technology adoption plans.

Almost every single company within the survey plans to adopt 5G, with 66 percent evaluating 5G in the next 12 months alone. 34 percent plan to release 5G technologies over the next year if they have not done so already.

"Many industry analysts talk about 5G as if it is far in the future, but this study shows what we are seeing within Ixia, that 5G rollout and adoption is ramping much quicker than predictions," says Kalyan Sundhar, vice president of Mobility and Virtualisation Products at Ixia.

"5G testing tools can help organisations make 5G a success even before all of the standards are finalised.  Developers can ensure their networks and applications are ready to take advantage of the speed and increased device connectivity promised by 5G.

In terms of what is driving this massive rush towards 5G, the major factors that companies are seeking is speed, flexibility and reliability resulting from 5G advancements.

More than 45 of organisations are driven by first-to-market pressures in order to secure and satisfy customers, however, they state that a lack of resources, expertise, and standards are hindering their developments, leading to nearly half of those surveyed to state they are not yet ready.

The key findings from the survey included:

• 96 percent of organisations plan to leverage 5G
• 67 percent of organisations have evaluated or will evaluate 5G technologies in the next 12 months
• 13 percent of respondents have already deployed 5G networks, while 34 percent will be publicly releasing 5G solutions in the next 12 months
• Top three drivers for 5G adoption are flexible and scalable network (59 percent), customer demand (55 percent) and market leadership (46 percent)
• Top three industries driving the need for 5G technology include telecom, tech, and financial services
• Key barriers for 5G adoption include lack of standards, expertise, and resources