Though mobile operators might not like the frank answer to the question “where is the 5G revenue?,” the answer, for the most part, right now, is “right where it already is.” Which is simply to say that the bulk of “5G” revenue, with one exception, comes from existing or new customers switching from 4G to 5G.
The one exception is fixed wireless, which is the first new revenue source possible with 5G than was not so common with 4G, though that source did exist. Eventually, new sources will develop. The likely candidates include network slices, private networks, edge computing or some involvement in internet of things ecosystems.
But all that will take time.
The other issue is that some markets have more revenue potential because average revenue per account is higher than the global average. The U.S. market and likely Canada are in that category. As Juniper Research argues, 5G revenue, as a proportion of the global total, is greater than 5G accounts might suggest. The other region where 5G revenue should exceed global norms is Western Europe, according to Juniper Research estimates.
