Kids are in the classroom, employees are back in the office and Americans are making plans for summer travel. But as daily life returns to “normal,” we see that our world is going to be far more mobile than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we think about work. It loosened ties to offices and big cities. It gave us new tools and new perspective. As a result, workers are moving to the suburbs, new hires are being found outside the metropolis while others are opting to retire sooner.
According to a recent report by Accenture, the pandemic has changed the way people live, work and socialize, with 79% of respondents wanting to work from a “third space” – a location other than their home or workplace.1 Meanwhile, 87% of enterprises expect their employees to work from home three or more days per week. 2 This means tomorrow’s office is virtually anywhere, and it’s spurring a greater demand for services that keep people connected from their home to the office and the places in between. 5G networks are coming onto the scene just in time to fuel these new levels of flexibility.
A Demand for More Powerful Connectivity
Given the impacts of COVID-19 on our personal and professional lives, coupled with the rising ubiquity of 5G, industry analyst firm Moor Insights & Strategy predicts that consumers and businesses alike will be more reliant on mobile services than ever before. And Carolina Milanesi at Creative Strategies believes 5G will play a big role in catering to this new world of increased digital workflows and entertainment, hybrid work and personal life changes that see many Americans relocating to more rural communities.
The pandemic transformed consumer behavior and expectations. As consumers get out of their homes and become increasingly mobile, they now want connectivity that will enable streaming all day long without any buffering or spinning wheel. They want to listen to stereo quality music without waiting. And they demand high-quality video calls on the go that don’t freeze or drop, web pages that open in the blink of an eye and large files that download in a flash. Today’s consumer wants all of these things faster, and in more places than ever before.
5G is connecting us to our world in powerful new ways that will turn these consumer demands into a reality. And as we look ahead at the proliferation of devices, from fitness wearables for biomedical monitoring to smartglasses that make our screen the world around us, this ability to stay connected on the go is just getting better. Today 5G is beginning to power everything, from connected cars to connected farms, delivering immersive new experiences to consumers, and transforming the way we work.
Good coverage and fast speeds have always mattered in the world of wireless, and for years Verizon and AT&T dominated the landscape. But with the dawn of 5G, and with Sprint now part of T-Mobile, the wireless world is dramatically changing. T-Mobile has built the fastest and largest 5G network in the country and is focused on putting it to work for everyone – from unleashing unlimited data and offering choices for home broadband to fueling mobile productivity and creating new innovations. Learn more about 5G.
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1 April 11, 2021: COVID-19 has Sparked a New Wave of Innovation Across Consumer Industries, According to Accenture Research
2 IDC 2020 U.S. Enterprise Mobility Decision Maker Survey: Devices, June 2020
Capable device req'd; coverage not available in some areas. Some uses may require certain plan or feature; see T-Mobile.com. Fastest according to Opensignal Awards – USA: 5G User Experience Report April 2021, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period December 15, 2020 – March 14, 2021 © 2021 Opensignal Limited. Select words in this release were edited on July 6, 2023.
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