The commercial launch of 5G in 2019 initiated a structural shift in wireless connectivity that is now the baseline for the next decade. Early deployments emphasized broad coverage and improved speeds, with additional capabilities introduced as networks scaled and architectures modernized. 5G standards define how networks are designed, operated, and monetized, and they set the technical and operational foundation for 6G, which is expected to emerge in late 2029 and early 2030.
As 5G deployment has progressed, the way people and organizations experience connectivity has changed. Interactions are more immediate, online services respond in real time, and digital applications operate reliably at a global scale. These advances have enabled new classes of consumer and enterprise experiences, from immersive media and connected devices to real-time analytics, automation, and AI-driven services delivered closer to the user.
BCG research in collaboration with Qualcomm estimates that 5G-enabled applications have already generated over $1 trillion in global economic impact, but the largest wave of value creation still lies ahead as adoption broadens and use cases scale. The technology’s projected cumulative value creation will exceed $6 trillion by 2030 and will approach $18 trillion by 2035. Adoption is accelerating, with almost 3 billion people now using 5G services, meaning that 5G is approaching that threshold more than twice as fast as 4G did. And 5G has provided the technological foundation for an explosive increase in data consumption. People in the US alone used a record 132 trillion megabytes of data in 2024. In short, the technology is having and will continue to have a significant impact on numerous fronts:
- Reindustrialization. 5G is reshaping the industrial landscape in the US and abroad, with 87% of private industrial 5G users reporting measurable ROI within 12 months of initial deployment.
- New Business Sectors and Models. 5G’s higher speeds and enlarged capacity have prompted shifts in consumer behavior and the growth of new sectors. For example, the market size of the global creator economy is estimated at approximately $250 billion and is projected to grow to more than $1 trillion in the early 2030s.
- Digital Inclusion and Access. 5G is expanding access to connectivity and helping to overcome the digital divide. In more than 30 global markets, consumers can now access 100GB+ 5G plans for less than 2% of average monthly income in their locality, and prices per GB for 5G are already lower than prices per GB for 4G in almost all markets.
- Health and Public Safety. 5G saves lives by enabling remote diagnostics and care, faster emergency response times, and seamless coordination for first responders and public safety agencies.
- Societal Well-Being and Accessibility. Globally, 5G is helping approximately 1 million visually impaired people regain independence through assistive technologies such as smart glasses.
As 5G’s advanced features continue to scale globally, the technology is laying the groundwork for an AI-first world. 5G’s capability breakthroughs, together with global experience gained through 5G policy and deployment, form the foundation for next-generation 6G networks. AI is already testing the limits of existing 5G networks as connectivity emerges as a key factor in mobile AI performance, acting as a powerful enabler when available and as a bottleneck when not.
Building on the progress that 5G has made so far, 6G will usher in new capabilities and open previously untapped sources of economic and societal value in the 2030s and thereafter. 6G will clear the way for new enterprise business models, immersive applications, and large-scale AI systems operating in physical environments as it enables new connectivity solutions of multiple kinds:
- Industrial Automation and Reindustrialization. Examples include real-time digital twins for industrial automation and smart maintenance, industrial sensor networks for safe production, and cooperating mobile robots for flexible manufacturing.
- Immersive and Interactive Experiences. High-resolution augmented reality overlays, holographic interaction, and multisensory events for entertainment and education (such as immersive training) are promising applications.
- Smart Cities and Infrastructure. 6G will support city-scale digital twins for traffic optimization and resource allocation, autonomous transportation, disaster recovery, and environmental sensing for air quality and other environmental hazards.
- E-Health and Assisted Care. Significant advances will be possible in continuous biometric monitoring, remote diagnostics with high-resolution sensor data, robotic assistance in home and clinical settings, and advanced remote procedures.
- Public Safety. Advances are likely in areas such as autonomous rescue drones, first responder systems, real-time situational awareness (of wildfires, for example), and manned-unmanned teaming in hazardous environments.
To realize this 6G vision, governments and industry need to adopt a coherent approach across four policy levers: timely access to wide-channel radio frequency spectrum, which is critical for multiyear device design cycles and infrastructure planning; open, merit-based global standards; sustained R&D investment supported by reliable intellectual property frameworks; and deep technical talent pipelines.
Although wireless connectivity has fundamentally changed how we live and work, its story is far from complete. As the impact of 5G grows, and as 6G looms on the horizon, the next chapter will determine how knowledge is distributed, how industries evolve, and how fully societies harness the full potential of emerging technologies. The US has the opportunity to shape this future, but doing so will require sustained investment and coordinated, forward-looking policy frameworks.
