Following recent trends in the increased popularity of live sports, real-time gaming and interactive events, among other formats, live streaming is clearly poised to play a significant role in the future of entertainment. Recent data shows that approximately 56% of millennials are more inclined to watch live video on smartphones, while Twitch has recorded 37% mobile viewership on its social media platform. This heavy reliance on mobile devices demonstrates how vital high-quality live streaming is for users around the world. 5G technology offers numerous benefits such as high-speed connectivity (almost 100 times faster than 4G), low-latency and network slicing. These advantages are particularly beneficial for live events such as sports matches and e-gaming, where real-time viewing and reactivity are essential contributors to high QoE. 

In this article, we explore what 5G technology is, the rise of mobile viewing, and how it is becoming a game-changer for live streaming quality.

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What is 5G technology?

As the name suggests, 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology, designed to deliver ultra-fast, low-latency internet connectivity that outperforms its predecessor, 4G. While 4G networks support maximum download speeds of around 150 Mbps and latency of 30-50 milliseconds, 5G promises download speeds of up to 10-20 Gbps and latency as low as 1 millisecond. These superior capabilities have given way to a game-changing viewing experience, which is particularly beneficial for high-intensity formats such as live streaming, real-time gaming, and interactive online events. 

4G was known to struggle with bandwidth during periods of peak usage, but 5G’s increased capacity has made it possible to stream reliable, high-resolution content, including 4K and even 8K video, even in densely populated areas. When 5G was first released into the world, it was met with some skepticism. The public reaction was mixed, partly due to inconsistent coverage and limited device compatibility in the early stages. To make matters worse for developers, conspiracy theories that linked 5G to health risks also began to circulate. These claims have been thoroughly debunked by scientists around the world. 5G operates within safe radio frequency ranges and poses no known health risks.

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The rise of mobile streaming

Mobile devices are a ubiquitous feature of today’s entertainment space. The availability of smartphones and advancements in mobile internet connection, such as 5G, have transformed how and where audiences consume live content. Recent data indicates that approximately 27% of live streams are watched on mobile devices, a trend that is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with 63% of individuals aged 18-34 regularly engaging with live streaming content. 

The convenience, availability and improved quality of mobile streaming have helped it become the preferred choice for viewing content for many viewers. In Q2 2024 alone, some 8.5 billion hours of live streamed content were viewed around the world, marking a 10% increase in engagement from the previous year. The integration of live streams into social media platforms has also played a role in the growing popularity of live content viewing on mobile devices, enabling users to watch and share at the click of a button. 

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5G: A game-changer for live streaming quality

5G is rewriting the handbook on what’s possible in live streaming today. As more and more next-generation smartphone models are capable of recording and displaying UHD 8K video, content creators are increasingly using their phones as broadcast tools thanks to 5G connectivity. With 4G, bandwidth limitations made high-resolution mobile streaming impractical, which often means choppy footage and buffering events. But 5G’s capabilities mean that even experiences such as live virtual reality and augmented reality gaming are possible, offering high-definition visuals and near-zero latency, which is perhaps one of the most important advancements compared to 4G. 

Latency can be highly detrimental to viewers’ overall experience, potentially leading to lower engagement rates and even churn. 5G technology brings latency down to as little as one millisecond, which translates to almost instantaneous broadcasting. 5G can also be hugely advantageous for online teaching and training activities, global conferences, webinars, concerts, as well as sports and e-sports. By reducing any kind of delay and increasing the overall quality of the image on screen, 5G helps provide an immersive viewing experience that retains audiences from start to finish, regardless of device or location. 

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