5G is not just another G: A review of the 5G business model and ecosystem challenges

Abstract

The fifth generation of mobile communications (5G) is a revolutionary phenomenon, which could deeply change the competitive landscape for wireless services. While 5G is a hot technological topic, there is a dearth of research that specifically explores 5G deployment challenges from a strategic perspective. Such limitation calls for a study, whose aim is to: (i) take stock of the current debate on 5G, (ii) critically review the extant literature with a focus on the theoretical streams employed to investigate the phenomenon from a strategic perspective, (iii) position the 5G research at the intersection of technology and business by identifying and classifying challenges faced by both Mobile Network Operators and other actors in the 5G ecosystem; and (iv) propose relevant future research avenues for theory and practice. To comply with such objectives, we conducted a systematic search and a review on a sample of 23 journal articles concerning the major strategic challenges the 5G ecosystem's stakeholders must face. From a theoretical perspective, we offer a systematic study of the strategic implications of 5G from a holistic viewpoint, without focusing on a specific use case. We analyse the theories currently adopted to investigate the phenomenon, while proposing alternative ones that could generate new research questions. From a practitioner's perspective, our study aims to increase actors' strategic awareness of such technological innovation's implications.