Discussions of 5G are typically focused on the new applications that consumers and enterprises can use. The other side of that coin is the money operators have to spend to do that. Think of operators as manufacturers of capacity–5G makes better use of network and spectral resources thereby making it cheaper to produce bits per hertz per second. Facing a data explosion or data tsunami or whatever disaster comparison you like, 5G gives carriers the opportunity to better serve customers in a way that could help them save money while opening up new revenue streams. But getting from today to that particular tomorrow involves a number of careful considerations.
