The major wireless carriers have promised widespread availability of 5G networks by mid-year. With data rates up to 100 times faster than 4G LTE, which was already fast, many marketing professionals predict the fifth generation of broadband cellular technology will change the digital marketing landscape.
Alex Hertel, CEO of experiential marketing firm Xperiel, and Ian Greenblatt, a managing director at marketing information services firm J.D. Power, told MarTech Today, that 5G may introduce a new era for augmented reality, as overlays of high-quality, interactive and intelligent imagery become available anywhere.
Alternative reality and virtual reality are expected to become more of a reality with the introduction of 5G. That opens up huge opportunities for marketers to create new immersive experiences virtually.
“There’s never been a better time to be innovating in our space, and we’ve never known the sheer number of options and approaches that are about to open up for our industry thanks to 5G. Yet, as with any transformation in the world of technology, the introduction of the next generation of mobile will roll out in stages. That will help marketers prepare,” writes Tom Kenney for Forbes.com. Kenney is the president and CEO of Verve, makers of a mobile marketing platform.
The true capabilities of 5G may not be on display until 2020 or 2021. Apple isn’t expected to offer an iPhone with 5G until late this year at the earliest. Even so, now is the time for marketers to start thinking about the possibilities, Kenney says. “Many of the walls that have constrained consumers (and marketers) to do everything they’d like to do with new mobile formats are coming down.”
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