The operators of south-east Asia are generally seen as the world leaders in deploying the latest mobile technologies, and persuading their users to adopt them with an enthusiasm that western MNOs envy. But browsing through the 2023 marketing messages and strategic investor presentations from most of these operators, there is very limited reference to 5G. Other buzzwords are far more prominent, from XR to AI to mobile money. Yet, in another mature 5G market, North America, operators continue to place 5G at the center of their marketing to consumers, as well as their pitches to shareholders. The contrast relates to many factors. In general, the operators in markets such as South Korea, Japan and China have seen the early positive…