While integrated telecom services continue to be futuristic in concept, perceived consumer demand for these services is growing, reports In-Stat -- Over half of the respondents to an In-Stat consumer survey indicated a desire to purchase integrated services. Integrated services will allow providers to actually tie what have been disparate networks together (primarily landline, wireless, and voice) and offer a new class of services. Cell-phone/landline integration continued to have the highest positive response, with 62 percent of respondents indicating an interest in purchasing this service, as compared to 51 percent respondent interest in a 2004 survey. "The meaningful way of tying the pieces of telecom services together has quickly evolved from simply single-bill bundling to talk of integrating the various networks customers use into unified, experience-based service offerings," says Amy Cravens, In-Stat analyst. The survey also revealed that the 18 to 34-age bracket, as well as those with household incomes of $100,000 or more, are most willing to pay for integrated services.
Despite a challenging backdrop from the ongoing effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the negative impact on fifth-generation (5G) wireless supply chains has been minimal compared to the wider mobile smartphone market. This led to 5G mobile devices becoming more diverse, brought to market quickly at a variety of price points, thereby accelerating affordability and adoption. The mobile market is transitioning to 5G and many leading vendors are now exploring the low-priced 5G smartphone segment. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, 681 million 5G handsets will be shipped in 2022. Therefore, the race is on for OEMs to find that all-important level of differentiation in their flagship portfolios to help boost margins and improve market share. 5G Wireless Market Development Vendors continue to drive the adoption of new product designs, screen technology, chipsets, and camera setups -- notably within the flagship smartphone segment. Meanwhile, the leaders seek a