Don't Listen To The 5G Naysayers

Every decade or so, a new generation of telecom network technology comes along that promises more speed, more capacity, better quality and new uses for customers. With each generation, network operators invest capital to upgrade their infrastructure, with the firm belief that doing so will lead to happier customers and reinvigorated revenues and profits. This formulation has been true ever since the early days of cell phone service in the 1980s; it has held up through 2G in the 1990s, 3G in the 2000s and 4G in the 2010s. But this time around, something has changed. When it comes to the next generation, 5G, some telecom executives seem to have lost their faith in the power of technology.