Replication data for: Fulfilment of the promises of 5G according to business and industry stakeholders in Europe and the United Kingdom

For businesses there is now the opportunity to incorporate fifth generation cellular technology (5G) into working practices to, for example, deliver contextual information in real time by ultra short latency and connect large numbers of devices, alongside artificial intelligence applications. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the development, implementation and the use of 5G in Europe, and to obtain an overview of developments associated specifically for occupational settings. We interviewed 14 experts from business, industry and (inter)national stakeholder organisations from the UK, Belgium, Spain, Poland and Switzerland between March and September 2023 using a semi-structured topic guide. Interviews were then transcribed, coded and analysed. Participants had mixed opinions about 5G as “it will not be the solution to the problems that we thought”, but “5G is still developing”. The introduction of 5G in workplaces was viewed as “pretty small” and in several countries “hasn’t been very well taken up”. Occupational settings where 5G had been initially incorporated included farming, manufacturing, airports, and university campuses. Introduction was also influenced by government-funded schemes to pilot 5G within businesses. Participants felt 5G could lead to a “natural evolution in factories”. However, this would require continuing investment in user equipment and resources, as “all equipment would need to be able to connect to the 5G network”. Experiences varied, but participants acknowledged that COVID-19 had had an impact on public perception, with misinformation being a prominent factor. Employment of 5G in industrial settings in Europe has been behind expectations, and to date mostly limited to test sites. Although work began in 2015, 5G deployment is continuing across Europe. Further research is needed to understand how businesses can effectively implement 5G.

如今，企业迎来了将第五代蜂窝移动通信技术（5G）融入业务实践的契机，例如借助超低时延实现实时情境信息推送，同时可连接海量设备，并配合人工智能应用落地。本研究旨在深入了解欧洲地区5G技术的发展、部署与应用现状，并梳理其在职业场景中的专属发展态势。本研究于2023年3月至9月期间，采用半结构化访谈提纲，对来自英国、比利时、西班牙、波兰及瑞士的企业、工业界及（跨国/国家）利益相关方组织的14名专家开展了访谈。随后对访谈内容进行转录、编码与分析。受访专家对5G的看法存在分歧：一方面认为"5G并非我们此前预想中的问题解决方案"，另一方面也承认"5G仍处于发展阶段"。职场中5G的落地规模被认为"相当有限"，在部分国家甚至"尚未得到广泛推广"。首批引入5G的职业场景涵盖农业、制造业、机场及大学校园。企业内部的5G试点工作也受到政府资助项目的推动。受访专家认为，5G有望推动工厂实现"自然演进"，但这需要持续投入用户终端设备与相关资源，因为"所有设备都需具备接入5G网络的能力"。各地实践效果存在差异，但受访专家均认为新冠疫情对公众认知产生了影响，其中错误信息是关键影响因素之一。目前欧洲工业场景中的5G应用未达预期，截至目前大多仍局限于试验场地。尽管欧洲的5G相关工作早在2015年便已启动，但当前其部署工作仍在持续推进。未来仍需开展进一步研究，以明确企业如何高效落地5G技术。