The study, conducted by Onecom offers insight into why 22% plan to upgrade to 5G as soon as it becomes available to them.    A further 23% will sign-up to it within three months of it becoming available, and 20% will do this within three to six months.

5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks and compared 4G and 3G technology, it is much faster, more reliable and offers greater capacity.  Major telecom operators are currently rolling out their 5G services across key cities in the UK.

The urgency amongst SMEs to start using 5G is explained by the benefits they expect it will bring.  Four out of  ten believe it will improve staff productivity, and 36% think it will enable employees to work more flexibly, which includes remotely. A further  36% think it will enhance their customer service experience and one in three (30%) expect it to help them reduce costs. Some 22% say 5G will enable them to launch new services.

Ben Dowd, Onecom CEO said: “There is a lot of excitement around 5G, and we are certainly seeing growing interest from our clients in how this could boost their business and operations.  The opportunities 5G brings are compelling, but companies need to assess their specific needs first and how this new technology could meet these. The benefits of 5G will come as a result of an evolution as opposed to a revolution.”