Australia will establish itself as a world leader when the 5G mobile communications system launches later this year, eSports will explode, and AI will boost customer satisfaction, according to experts.

Radio will also remain a trusted media platform while quantum computing is a term you can expect to hear more of this year, says a recent report from big four accounting firm Deloitte.

The rollout of the 5G network is expected to start imminently, though consumers might not be able to access the network until smartphone makers begin producing 5G-ready mobile phones.

But, says Peter Corbett, Deloitte partner, Australian consumers will likely be the first to begin benefitting from the technology.

“5G will transform the way we live, work and play in 2019; the prospects are really exciting,” he said. “What’s more exciting is that we predict Australia will be one of the fastest countries to commercially roll out 5G, and put its power in the hands of every day Australians.

“There are many opportunities and challenges ahead for the rollout of 5G, and customers will need to be patient. However, we predict 2019 will indeed be the year of commercial rollout, and early bird customers will enjoy enhanced speeds from their home, and potentially on the go within connected pockets of major cities.”

He suspects Australians will snap up 50,000 of the one million 5G-ready handsets expected to be sold before Christmas this year.

Former Telstra head of innovation, chief technology officer and current president of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering Hugh Bradlow told Stockhead last year 5G could affect a range of tech and telco stocks.

eSports to continue its boom

Stockhead reported last month on the market opportunity for ASX stocks in the $183 billion esports industry, and Deloitte partner Leora Nevezie said the sector would continue to soar in popularity.

“There is a natural synergy with eSport and telcos, and we predict that this year we will see telcos explore eSport as an integrated ‘telco-tainment’ offering, as well as a perfect use case for high-speed connectivity and big data plans,” she said. “We expect this to really take off when the power of 5G is unleashed.”

Established organisations will help drive eSports towards mainstream acceptance, the report says, with growing numbers of sporting clubs and commercial entities jumping on board.

Last year saw the launch of Essendon FC’s officially sanctioned eSports team:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tFqiR4IEqU

Radio, AI and quantum computing 

Deloitte also predicts radio will maintain its status as Australia’s “most resilient and trusted form of traditional media” throughout 2019, while increased used of artificial intelligence in areas such as customer service, back-end automation and data insights will lead to greater “customer happiness and satisfaction” with businesses.

You should also remember the phrase quantum computing, says Mr Corbett.

“Australia is a major player in global quantum computing research and development. We have deep technical expertise and strong backing from the government to continue researching and exploring the possibilities of quantum computing,” Mr Corbett said.

“Quantum computing is the future of problem solving, and 2019 will see businesses preparing for this cutting-edge technology.

“Companies working with complicated data and information will begin to understand the power of quantum, and how it can unlock complex problems that have always been uncrackable.”