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Graphic depicting a 5G SA city.

Value of differentiated 5G connectivity

5G standalone business opportunities in urban environments

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Explore how 5G SA-enabled connectivity in a typical city can bring revenue for service providers and savings for end-users.

Why explore use places, instead of use cases

Service providers need to look at the aggregated benefits and monetization potential of 5G in a bigger context to justify, but also monetize, their initial investments in 5G SA while setting the base for further innovation and expansions to follow. Approaching opportunities by imagining them inside an archetypal city offers an effective way to visualize them in a real-life scenario.

The multifaceted characteristics of cities present a wide array of valuable opportunities to utilize 5G standalone (SA) for top-line growth, customer retention and acquisition and to enhance telecommunications service provider brands.

In this report we explore the results of a research to identify, validate and quantify viable existing opportunities or significant market opportunities in the next five years, in 5 selected use places within a typical city. With that we aim to provide a practical initial reference point for service providers to leverage from when working on their business plannings for 5G.

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5G SA city of use places

Key findings

Graphic of reporter broadcaster and a man using his phone.

Use place: Citywide

In the modern urban environment, maintaining continuous connectivity on the go has become more critical than ever, serving both professional and recreational needs.

Business opportunity examples:

  • Enhanced mobile cloud gaming service providers’ revenue increase ~USD 2–4 million per year
  • Live broadcasting broadcasters’ cost savings ~USD 0.32–0.5 million per year
Graphic of security and a trainer watching screens over the play and athletes in a stadium.

Use place: Stadiums and areas

Stadiums and arenas host a wide range of users, from sports teams and athletes to spectators and businesses, offering numerous avenues for 5G SA monetization.

Business opportunity examples:

  • Crowd analytics and security service providers' revenue increase ~USD 0.33 million per year
  • Sports performance tracking service providers’ revenue increase ~USD 0.03 million per year
Graphic of persons working with 5G connection in warehouse and constructions site.

Use place: Industrial and logistics sector

The increasing demand for automation in the industrial and logistics sector opens up various 5G SA use cases in an average medium-sized city.

Business opportunity examples:

  • Virtual network for temporary sites, service providers’ revenue increase ~USD 4 million per year
  • Autonomous mobile robots Industry cost savings ~USD 1.2–2.5 million per year
  • Asset tracking service providers’ revenue increase ~USD 9 million per year
Graphic of people connected to 5G Standalone in an airport.

Use place: Airports

An airport is like a mini city, with a diversity of use cases in a small area and its own ecosystem of users including consumers, businesses and administrators.

Business opportunity examples:

  • Aircraft maintenance airlines’ cost saving ~USD 2.5 million per year
  • Passenger experience service providers’ revenue increase ~USD 0.55 million per year
Graphic of an apartment with two persons using 5G connected devices.

Use place: Residential district

In the residential district landscape, the potential of 5G SA means that homes can serve as hubs not only for leisure, but also for work, education and healthcare.

Business opportunity examples:

  • Fixed Wireless Access service providers’ addressable market ~USD 16–32 million per year
5G value: Capture the differentiated connectivity opportunities

Our report gives you more details to plan for your next step to monetize 5G standalone.

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Infographic How 5G SA connectivity in a typical city can bring revenue for service providers and savings for end users.
5G SA in a city (500K–1M people) drives revenue and savings: airport ops save $2.5M; airlines gain $0.55M; industrial VPNs add $4M; robots save $1.2–2.5M; asset tracking adds $9M; FWA market worth $16–32M; gaming adds $2–4M; live broadcast saves $0.5M; stadiums add $0.36M.
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Case study: Discover Singtel's Journey to Differentiated Connectivity

Explore Singtel's stepwise journey: exploration, scale, and commercialization. Starting with a network slicing proof of concept at the 2022 Grand Prix Singapore, Singtel enhanced fan experiences with premium connectivity. They then scaled this success to major events like the National Day parade, providing premium connectivity to meet the needs of both consumers and national security agency. Now, Singtel is fully starting to commercialize their slicing capabilities, offering application-based connectivity and "express passes" for events and concerts. Dive into the case study to gain insights from Singtel's innovative leadership in 5G commercialization.

Read the case study
Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, with towering vertical gardens and cityscape.

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