Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1097515
46 DGA QUARTERLY trend. This international development of high-speed mobile Inter- net presents enormous opportunities for content creators as huge numbers of new viewers from around the world gain access to video on their phones—a process that is already underway through access to 4G networks. Investment in and development of high-speed mo- bile has become a priority in many developing nations and may o er opportunities for them to skip over the delays and high costs of wir- ing homes with fi ber. With the technology's speed and low latency, consumers will be able to stream video (including 4K content) without buffering or download entire fi lms in seconds. Existing customers are predicted to watch more fi lms and television programs, as access to content increases. And fi rst-time Internet users are likely to be captivated by the entertainment options available to them. And the volume of data is about to explode. Chipset manufac- turer/IT conglomerate Cisco predicts that by 2022, global mobile data tra c will reach 930 exabytes annually. That's the equivalent of every movie ever made crossing global mobile networks every fi ve minutes. That same year, says Cisco, nearly 12% of global mobile data tra c will come from 5G connections. Mobile video consumption is expected to grow between 30% and 45% per year through 2023, at which time video should make up 75% of all data consumed. (Cisco says the average user's data consump- tion will triple with 5G connections.) That could bring about an economic boom. Ovum, a London- based analyst specializing in the telecommunications, media and technology industries, predicts annual mobile media revenues will double to $420 billion in 2028. $124 billion of that will come from the U.S. $100 billion will come from China. Where Does 5G's Rolout Stand Today? 5G is in the wild already in select cities, but few can truly take ad- vantage of it. AT&T, in December, launched its 5G network, but since there are no phones yet on the market that can utilize it (5G requires a di erent sort of antenna), the company is o ering select custom- ers a 5G mobile hotspot and modem. Verizon, similarly, rolled out limited 5G home service last October and will launch its 5G mobile network later this year, though only in select cities. Internationally, the rollout is just as hit or miss. Big population centers in Europe will see 5G start to show up later this year, but the most rapid expansion will likely come in South Korea or China. Both are racing to be the fi rst with widespread 5G availability, hoping that an advanced 5G infrastructure could serve as a breeding ground for startups that utilize the technology. (The U.S. saw this when it led the world in 4G development, giving birth to everything from Instagram to Netfl ix's streaming model.) "American companies could reach critical mass earlier [with 4G] because it was here," says Emanuel Kolta, a research analyst at ABI Research. "That's why Uber could actually grow to scale before they expanded to Europe or Southeast Asia. It's going to happen the same way with 5G. Countries that reach 5G earlier than others can build up their ecosystem earlier and gain experience and have their busi- nesses reach other countries [fi rst]. But we don't know the use cases for 5G yet, and that's why China's putting forth the e ort. They're rolling out as fast as they can." Some other major population centers, though, like India, just fi n- ished installing their 4G infrastructure a few years ago. And because of this, they're not in a rush to adopt 5G at this time. Early development in India isn't expected to get underway until 2021. And a complete global rollout of 5G will likely take a decade or more as governments conduct spectrum auctions and approve per- mits for the new hardware that's necessary for 5G. What New Entertainment Avenues Can 5G Open Up? While the broad increase in audience is certainly a major benefi t of 5G's rapid deployment, the technology will also open up new cre- ative avenues for fi lmmakers. Disney's StudioLab, in January, announced a partnership with Verizon to explore the possibilities of 5G connectivity for media and entertainment. Among the ideas currently being examined are a new take on theatrical posters, where regularly updated promotional ma- terials are sent directly to large fl at-screen displays in cinema lob- bies, and the ability to upload dailies from remote shoot locations, where high-speed Internet is hard to come by currently. The availability of high-speed Internet from any location could also make witnessing live events something that isn't limited to those lucky enough to score a ticket. "If you place an ultra high resolution camera at a concert and record 360-degree video, you can actually sell online tickets to customers," says Kolta. "Imagine you want to go to the Super Bowl or a concert. You can be on the fi rst row and look around wherever you want in high resolution. It's a unique experience that 5G helps enable." As Kolta implies, virtual reality (and augmented reality as well) stand to be major benefi ciaries of 5G. Not only will the reduced lag times diminish or eliminate the feeling of motion sickness that of- ten accompanies today's use of the technologies, but 5G's speeds, when combined with edge computing, will allow VR and AR com- panies to remotely handle the processing required to create those images. That will result in much lighter, more mobile headsets (versus current models, which must be connected to a powerful PC or high-end smartphone). "When you can relocate the computing power from the device, you can have really slim, AR and VR glasses, which can have the same functionality as [current] devices," says Kolta. "The glasses basically become just a projector." Other potential use cases 5G opens up include creating interactive content, with user-infl uence storylines, and volumetric 3D video dis- tribution. There's even the potential of adding a haptic element to me- dia, adding a new sensory dimension to how people consume media. In the short term, though, 5G's mission is to expand upon the dis- ruption that 4G began. Over-the-top users will continue to grow and some parts of the entertainment industry will struggle to fi nd the best way to capitalize on that. It's a transition that will involve a wide variety of players, from studios to startups. For content creators, the acceleration of OTT will result in a num- ber of new outlets to showcase their work and a wider overall audience to view those projects, creating a number of exciting opportunities. 5G promises to be a critical tool for creators that can expand their reach and o er new ways to tell stories. And because the rollout will be a measured one over time, it gives creators time to adapt and learn best practices and, ultimately, to reap the benefi ts of the tech- nology's advances. ®