If 5G is the answer, what is the question?

5G has been the subject of unrelenting hype for many years. Go back to 2016 and most believed that 5G was transformative, would change the way we lived our lives, would open a host of new revenue streams for operators and was an opportunity for countries to gain important global leadership.

But in November last year, things started to change. The CEO of BT said he couldn't see a business case for 5G and neither could other operators he talked to. Others, such as Vodafone, followed suit.