As we head into the second half of 2018, we’re taking a look back at what experts predicted for 2018, and where those predictions stand today.
5G? Mergers? Carrier updates? 2018 brought a number of wireless predictions with it – but how many of those have come to fruition? Let’s take a look at where they stand and what the remainder of 2018 holds for the industry.
Prediction: Service providers will begin consolidating
T-Mobile and Sprint started the trend when they agreed to merge in April. Shortly thereafter, AT&T acquired Time Warner for $85 billion, and most recently Disney outlasted Comcast in a bidding war for Fox. It’s safe to say this prediction was spot on.
Prediction: 5G will be available by the end of 2018
Sure, 5G is on its way, but is a 2018 rollout realistic? It depends. In some cities the answer is ‘yes.’ AT&T, for example, said they plan to launch 5G in 12 cities by the end of the year, including Atlanta and Dallas to name a few. At the end of 2017, Verizon stated they would roll out 5G in ‘three-to-five U.S. markets in 2018.’ More recently, the carrier said it plans to launch 5G in Los Angeles by Q4 of this year. Stay tuned for the fate of this one.
Prediction: Mobile and IoT will continue to play hand-in-hand
This trend was predicted to be a slow, but significant change as companies begin to implement the Internet of Things (IoT) into their business plan. While this may not happen in 2018, Gartner predicts IoT will grow to 26 billion interconnected devices by 2020, meaning there will be plenty of uncharted territory for mobile carriers looking to keep up with the trend.
Ready or not, the wireless industry is changing, and these mid-year predictions prove that companies are making the right moves to stay on trend.
For more insight on the future of wireless, check out the Fortegra blog!
