From immersive experiences on VR headsets to securing assets at faraway locations, a new report from Ericsson finds industries hold a variety of hopes for 5G.

The vendor contacted 650 executives globally – including CIOs, CTOs, CMOs, and other heads of IT Infrastructure – from the eight industries most likely to be impacted by 5G: media/gaming, utilities, automotive, public safety, high-tech manufacturing, internet/digital native, healthcare and financial services.

In the media industry, executives hoped 5G will enable immersive experiences, such as ultra HD 4K and virtual reality, taking advantage of the higher capacity available through 5G. A significant majority also pointed to personal 360-degree broadcasting and fixed wireless broadband as roles for 5G.

Meanwhile, senior executives from the utility sector expect increased productivity, faster time-to-market for new products and services, and greater efficiency. Enhanced monitoring and maintenance of assets located in remote and potentially hazardous locations using sensors is another benefit.

Interestingly, while executives in the automotive sector obviously highlight the connected car and self-driving vehicles as areas where 5G will play a significant role, enhanced GPS including instant traffic and map updates is seen as the favoured use of the technology globally.