The next NIMBY battle: 5G small cells in neighborhoods

By the numbers: 86% said they will accept small cells that "blend into their surroundings."

• 73% will accept small cells that don't blend in as long as they are not directly in front of their homes.
• 60% don't care about aesthetics if they can have faster internet service.

"It's one thing to see the installation of the 5G boxes on poles on a main corridor that doesn't offend people. But if you're in a heavily residential area and you're not expecting to see that type of thing, it's almost like having a power transformer in your front yard. People are not going to like those."

Still, consumers are excited about 5G — and willing to pay more for it — even though they don’t really know what it is, according to a recent Morning Consult poll of 5,600 adults in the U.S. and EU commissioned by IBM.

• 49% of consumers are very or somewhat excited about 5G, but only 36% said they were even somewhat familiar with the technology.

• 49% of U.S. consumers said they would be willing to pay more for 5G, but only 4% said they would pay “significantly” more.
• 38% said they understand the differences between 5G and 4G, but only 7% said they understand the differences “very well.”

Between the lines: There has been a lot of hype about the promise of 5G, but consumers are still struggling with the specifics ahead of widespread rollout — and NIMBY backlash may slow down small cell construction in neighborhoods.

Go deeper: 5G will see a wide rollout in 2020