5G roadblock: labor

Fri Jan 3 09:15:21 UTC 2020

On 3/Jan/20 10:58, Saku Ytti wrote:

>
> Williams comment seems somewhat market specific and perhaps even
> overly negative. Mostly 5G is about better radio performance in dense
> metro installations, uninteresting metric for many markets. Some
> markets already do +20GB/month _average_ on 4G subscription with
> +50Mbps datarates, lower than DSL latency and <20EUR MRC. In these
> markets many opt not to have any other data connection but 4G, the
> benefits are compelling, cheaper, faster, lower latency, shorter MTTR
> and easier to switch to competition compared to DSL.

If your market can offer 50Mbps of 4G for EUR20/month with a 20GB data
cap, chances are there is fibre nearby, either for your office, or your
home, or both. If there isn't, something is smelling...

In Africa, most folk don't buy that much data, never mind for that
cheap, even if they'd love it. Many markets on our continent are seeing
data sales mostly in the MB's, and not the GB's, and it's still pricier
than you might think. I hazard a guess that some specific markets in
parts of Europe, Asia-Pac and Latin America might also be similarly
affected.

I can get 50Mbps easily on 4G/LTE either mobile network that I subscribe
to here in South Africa. I get about 2GB/month for about EUR100/month
for my personal one, and 20GB/month for about EUR200/month for my work
one. I have a 3rd 4G line which I use to connect my car to the Internet,
and I pay EUR2/month for 100MB/month. As my Ghanian friend would say,
"That is not a steal".

I have an unlimited FTTH connection to my home. I don't know how much
data my house generates. I have a neighbor who, last year, went from a
50GB/month data cap for his FTTH service to an unlimited option, and his
house now generates 1TB of data per month. I asked him, "Why do you even
bother counting?"

It's the kids... it's Fortnite... it's Instagram... it's Youtube... it's
the kids.

Mark.