5G & ELECTRONIC METALS: Electronic metals lose momentum on 5G rollout delays

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 was expected to be an important year for the rollout of 5G networks, with more operator launches globally and declining prices for smartphones and other 5G devices.

While the rollout has been disrupted in the short term, the increase in remote working caused by lockdown measures has underscored the need for greater bandwidth capacity along with fast and reliable networks, after there has been an exponential rise in data traffic, market sources told Fastmarkets.
The advantages of 5G are clear since this next generation of networks will be able to stream data about 100 times faster than today's 4G networks.
The pandemic has also highlighted the benefits of a big range of health applications, which include remote monitoring, home care and even robotic surgery. At the same time, delivery drones and logistics networks can also exploit 5G services in the times of social distancing.
Here, Fastmarkets summarizes key developments related to the 5G rollout, as well as their impact on electronic metals.

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