It can be argued that 3G and 4G followed a path to commercialization that reflects the value proposition at various points along the adoption cycle. Early on, for both 3G and 4G, there were no devices capable of using the new network other than data dongles or sticks. So the first use case was mobile internet access for PCs and other devices.
AT&T is following that playbook exactly, selling its early 5G services only to business customers, and only for fixed wireless data access, typically as a backup to a fixed connection. 5G will add one important new wrinkle: data rates high enough to function as a substitute for fixed network connections (5G fixed wireless).
As the networks launch nationwide, and new 4G-capable devices are made available, the biggest use case will be consumer smartphones. Only later will potential applications develop that take advantage of the bleeding edge of 5G capabilities (ultra-low latency and gigabit speeds).
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