US businesses consider 5G essential for leveraging technology like AI, but they struggle with the deployment and maintenance costs.
That is what Ericsson’s latest US State of Enterprise Connectivity Report indicates. The survey was conducted by Censuswide with over 1,000 technology decision makers in the country from several industry verticals.
Among the findings, the study showed that 88% of the American businesses consider 5G “critical to optimising the use of AI in the workplace.” According to the Swedish company, leaders are recognising the power of 5G’s low latency.
“Today’s enterprises are trying to navigate challenges such as a dynamic economic landscape, evolving cyber threats, and growing customer expectations,” said Camille Campbell, director of product marketing at Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions, in a press release.
“As the report outlines, 5G will play a key role in leveraging the technologies — such as AI and IoT — that will help businesses mitigate these challenges.
However, the same leaders who see great value in 5G also highlight how complex and expensive enterprise solutions can be.
According to the survey, 52% of respondents said that the cost of deployment and maintenance of the network is a main barrier to investing in 5G networks. 46% of people also cited the complexity associated with upgrading their hardware to support the network as a downside.
Another struggle US businesses see in adopting 5G is the return on investment. A considerable 21% of leaders just don’t see clear ROI from it.
“Financial stakeholders must not only be convinced that 5G cellular can provide business benefits, but that the resources necessary to achieve and maintain those benefits don’t carry a price tag that’s too high,” the report reads.
