[matchagaucho]

I don't think consumers are expecting more efficiency from 5G; therefore no paradox when actual consumption exceeds expectations.

Insert any VHS vs BetaMax or AC vs DC historical lesson here. The best tech does not always win.

If carriers, smartphone makers, and chipset manufacturers all agree on 5G, then 5G will "win".

[johnnycab]

My comment was from the perspective of the stakeholders i.e. governments/academia/spectrum holders, various steering groups/SIG/committees, policy makers, environmentalists, OEM's, chip designers/fabs, banks, telcos et al., who are not only aware of the challenges ahead but have to be fully invested and efficiency matters. [1]

They could adopt the default position suggested by you and do nothing; it will certainly be favourable and indeed profitable for all the incumbents in the short term, but they will only be postponing the inevitable. A new generation of mobile standard is a well-trodden path, from the beginning of 1980's with the advent of 1st Generation of wireless telecommunications and every decade since then. It is without a doubt paved with riches and there will be winners and losers ─ however, the biggest driver has been innovation and not just about the 'win' and to suggest that 5G might fail is pure fantasy.

It is a non-sequitur to compare stand-alone video formats with a constellation of technological advancements, encompassing a multitude of disciplines, which have had a profound impact on us.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nljwtkdHAYw

[matchagaucho]

We're already in a state of doing nothing. The progressive view is pushing for 5G upgrades and breaking the cable box model.