5G rollout was the top priority for major telecom companies as 2020 began. The pandemic put a wrinkle in those well-laid plans as travel restrictions took hold, supply chains were disrupted, and telecoms scrambled to shore up existing networks to meet exploding demand for residential bandwidth. But the delay was just a temporary blip; the pandemic underscored the need for 5G.
Rollouts have accelerated over the past six months to meet that rising demand, requiring more resources, installers and technology in the field.
