Brazil leads in consumer knowledge about 5G in Latin America

According to a new survey published by analyst group IDC, Brazil is ahead of other Latin American countries in terms of consumer knowledge about 5G.

The LATAM Consumer Future of Connectedness Survey polled 3,000 consumers across the region between April and May found that 95% of Brazilians have some type of knowledge about the fifth-generation technology, compared to the average of 75% across other Latin markets. Only 36% of Brazilians say they know 5G well, but 84% believe it will completely transform the data consumption.

According to the study, most of the perceived transformational impact of 5G and expectations from the public relates to entertainment-related activities. For 82% of Brazilians, 5G will transform streaming, while 74% agree that the technology will completely change the way they work, and the same percentage believes the way they shop online will see a shift with the new technology. In addition, 72% think that the new technology will change the way they play games and 71% the way they study.

Moreover, 44% of respondents in the IDC study expect to use 5G with virtual and augmented reality applications, technologies that demand specific software and hardware. Streaming (39%), videos on social networks (38%) and games (29%) were also mentioned by participants.

On the other hand, only 22% of the Brazilian respondents said they will certainly migrate to a 5G mobile offering within the next 12 months, while 42% are expected to migrate, and the remainder are unsure of whether they will switch. The main reasons cited by participants included being happy with devices that are not 5G-ready (39%) and having recently changed smartphones, and not wanting to change them once again (34%), while 22% mentioned concerns around additional costs.

Brazil held its 5G auction in November 2021. According to the rules set out by Brazilian telecommunications regulator Anatel, the implementation schedule will see 5G becoming available across Brazilian capitals by July 31, 2022. However, larger cities, including São Paulo, already have the fifth-generation mobile spectrum. The phased rollout will see the technology being introduced to cities between 500,000 and 30,000 inhabitants across the country until 2028.

A separate study by Deloitte presented by the Brazilian government earlier this year suggests that 5G could potentially provide a $117 billion boost to the country’s economy. In addition, the implementation of 5G could generate $20 billion in business for companies and startups based in Brazil over the next decade. This includes the productivity increases and cost reductions stemming from the Industry 4.0 approach.