[eMarketer] US telecoms bet on 5G to grow market share

Major US telecoms are making a comeback from a turbulent year of 5G adoption hijacked by the pandemic

After years of investment and starry-eyed claims, 2020 was supposed to mark “the year of 5G.” That didn’t happen as advertised. Instead, airports, sports stadiums, music venues, and other densely packed large areas most immediately expected to benefit from 5G sat empty and unused as Covid-19 ran rampant.

AT&T and Verizon have ramped up their marketing efforts and promotional offerings in recent months in an attempt to lock in subscribers and keep them from switching over to T-Mobile.

Thanks in large part to a glut of mid-band spectrum that T-Mobile acquired when it merged with Sprint, it has the nation’s largest 5G network, featuring the best 5G download speeds and coverage area of the three largest telecoms, according to OpenSignal.

Despite the billions telecoms have spent in infrastructure investment and several years of dogged advertising, most US consumers are still unaware of the benefits of 5G.

eMarketer posits that uncertainty surrounding new Covid-19 variants and the looming specter of new lockdown orders threaten to complicate near-term, large-scale 5G rollouts, especially in areas with large crowds. These uncertainties could favor T-Mobile, whose hefty mid-band spectrum holdings reduce the investment necessary to expand its networks.

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