5G can help operators increase revenues by up to 30%: Ericsson report

Ericsson on Monday unveiled a report that lays out a roadmap for operators to unlock the revenue potential of 5G-enabled industry digitalisation. This report was unveiled at the ongoing Mobile World Congress 2018 (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

With 5G, operators can potentially grow revenues by up to 36% by addressing 10 key sectors, said the report titled "The guide to capturing the 5G industry digitalization business potential" -- a sequel to the "5G Business Potential" report by Ericsson.

The "5G Business Potential report" found that operators can add a revenue of $204 billion to $619 billion (12 to 36%) to their forecast service revenues of $1.7 trillion in 2026.

They can do this by targeting the digital transformation of other industries, such as automotive and manufacturing, using 5G-Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

In its latest report, Ericsson examined more than 400 industry digitalisation use cases across 10 industries -- energy and utilities; manufacturing; public safety; healthcare; public transport; media and entertainment; automotive; financial services; retail; and agriculture.

As 5G becomes increasingly vital to industries, opportunities for new 5G-enabled revenues for operators will increase, the report said.

"Our case studies have shown that operators employ strategic and operational activities to address challenges facing the success of their offerings," said Thomas Noren, Head of 5G Commercialisation at Ericsson.

"Even though they're not yet 5G offerings, these activities -- such as go-to-market channels and trial and experimentation -- will be equally important, if not more, when evolved towards 5G," Noren added.

Trials of 5G use cases are expected to start in 2018.