Business Insider Report Outlines COVID-19 Impacts and 5G Roadblocks

By Ken BriodaghJune 17, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is disrupting nearly all industries, and Business Insider has published a report that indicates that the rollout of next-generation 5G wireless networks around the world could be delayed.

According to the report, there will be multiple sources of the delays to 5G network deployments, including holdups in standards development and spectrum auctions, disruptions in supply chains for the necessary hardware to broadcast 5G signals, and impediments to carriers' ability to secure the funds for network deployments.

Business Insider said that 2020 was expected to be the year when 5G really took off, with one pre-COVID Qualcomm estimate saying between 175 million and 225 million 5G-powered smartphones would ship for the year as top vendors including Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi expanded the number of 5G options within their lineups.

The report predicts 5G will slow down from those numbers significantly. Get The Full Report here.

Ken Briodagh is a storyteller, writer and editor with about two decades of experience under his belt. He is in love with technology and if he had his druthers would beta test everything from shoe phones to flying cars.

Edited by Ken Briodagh