Examining 5G Adoption: Effects on Network Traffic and Mobile Service Usage

Abstract

With the launch of 5G and tremendous advancements in the traffic monitoring infrastructure of the modern telecom industry, we have an unprecedented opportunity to characterize the impact of this new wireless technology on end users. In this work, we conduct a first-of-its-kind analysis of 5G adoption over both space and time by leveraging massive measurement data at a national scale. We reveal the state of 5G incidence on total mobile traffic, its adoption across various services and devices, its temporal fluctuations, and the causes associated with the observed phenomena.