By Chinenye Anuforo, [email protected]
5G, also known as fifth generation network, has the potential to completely turn around the way people live their lives.
5G does more than just create a faster radio network. Instead, it works by bringing together many technologies that had emerged since the advent of 4G and connects them to people, machines and global cloud infrastructures to create enhanced solutions.
It fundamentally impact country’s national and economic security and technological leadership.
That’s why Africa can’t afford to lose or be left behind in the 5G race.
By 2035, the full rollout of 5G technology could generate 22 million jobs globally and generate over $13 trillion in global economic output. It will be a good thing if a good portion of those jobs and that revenue are created in Africa.
Whereas telecom operators around the world have long rolled out 5G network since 2019, deployment of the fifth generation network across Africa has been very slow such that ICT experts have projected only about 20 million African users would be using it in the next five years. Apparently, this is very abysmal for a continent with a population of over one billion people.
With less than 1 per cent coverage of the 5G networks in sub-Saharan Africa, there are indications that services on this prized telecommunications technology are still a distant cry from what they should be.
So far, no fewer than 229 countries have implemented the technology across the globe but only a few African countries, including Nigeria, appear to have initiated moves to implement 5G in concrete terms.
Nigeria has three licencees for 5G but only MTN has shown serious progress in its implementation, while Mafab Communications and Airtel are in various stages of implementing and activating their networks.
Global System of Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) said 5G connections would double over the next two years, with expedited technological innovations and new network deployments in more than 30 countries in 2023 alone. Of the new networks to be deployed in 2023, it is expected that 15 will be 5G standalone networks.
The forecasts from GSMA Intelligence, announced during Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2023, point to a significant period of growth in terms of mobile subscribers and enterprise adoption.
GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting over 750 operators with nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, noted that consumer connections surpassed one billion at the end of 2022 and would increase to around 1.5 billion this year – before reaching two billion by the end of 2025. This momentum confirms 5G as the fastest generational roll out, when compared to 3G and 4G.
The GSMA yearly Global Mobile Economy Report, states that:
“5G will overtake 4G in 2029 to become the dominant mobile technology, with 5G adoption at over 85% in the top 5G markets by 2030.” Global 5G connections will surpass five billion by the end of the decade, with the industry on track to hit 1.5 billion connections in 2023.”
The report says 5G will add almost $1 trillion to the global economy in 2030 and benefit every sector, with the services (46%) and manufacturing (33%) sectors deriving the most value; the mobile sector’s economic contribution will exceed $6 trillion by 2030.
The majority of operators expect private wireless networks to account for up to 20% of their total enterprise revenues, driven by improvements in 5G capabilities.
Potential benefits
According to Laolu Akindele, associate director, risk assurance services, PwC Kenya, 5G can help Africa leapfrog to ‘industry 4.0’, automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices using smart technologies. The high speed and low latency 5G provide will lead to relevant use cases in Africa such as: Healthcare advancements and Telehealth using Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Efficient agriculture production through use of agri-sensors, factory and warehouse automation amongst others.
Akindele said , the integration of 5G into lives and work has the potential to positively impact African communities and economies. “Even though there are challenges that might adversely affect the 5G use case, we expect that 5G will inevitably scale due to advances in mobile technology.
Government regulators must properly define their 5G roadmap; telecommunications operators must assess appropriate business models; and users must find ways to realise the benefits of this new technology. All parties must work together to maximise the opportunities that 5G will create in Africa.”
Other potential benefits include integrated management of the vast amount of connected devices in a smart society, lower cost, lower battery consumption, lower latency, and improved support of device-to-device communication.
Through these capacities, 5G is expected to advance machine-based, Internet of Things (IOT) functionalities such as self-driving cars and smart factories.
By 2030, the economic impact of 5G is expected to reach 227 billion U.S. dollars in the manufacturing industry alone, provided mostly by mid-band 5G. In the same year, mid-band 5G is expected to comprise between 0.35 and 0.51 percent of total GDP, depending on the region.
While 5G remains the undeniable future of telecommunications, its promises of massive machine-type communication and lower latency come mainly from standalone 5G, whereas most telecommunication companies deploying 5G networks have built on existing 4G/LTE infrastructure, known as non-standalone (NSA) 5G, for easier and faster rollouts.
Speaking at MTN Nigeria’s commercial launch of 5G technology on September 18, 2022. Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN Nigeria, stated, “The list of possibilities with 5G is endless. We are truly excited to be at the forefront of bringing this amazing technology to Nigerians and can’t wait to share in all the incredible moments that our customers will experience.” This is true because slow internet speed is a major issue for creatives such as content creators, movie producers, and photographers, among others. However, the 5G revolution has eased this pain point because 5G’s low latency, incredible speed, and bandwidth enable instantaneous file transfer without a second’s delay. The Chief Marketing Officer backed up this claim during a live speed test at the 5G launch, where a file of 2GB was placed to download on both a 4G and 5G network. The 5G network downloaded the file in less than two minutes, while the 4G network said it would take an hour. “5G has already downloaded the file, while 4G has asked us to return in an hour,” she said.
5G will forever alter the way we enjoy entertainment. AR/VR technology will enable us to do more than just watch content; we will feel as if we are there. We can virtually visit other countries, be in games rather than just playing them, and watch artists perform together live on stage from different locations, such as Fireboy performing in Nigeria and Ed Sheeran performing alongside him from London, all thanks to 5G. Because they have an equal connection, our gamers will be able to compete on an equal footing with gamers from all over the world. There is no doubt that with this revolutionary technology, the Nigerian creative industry is about to take a 180-degree turn and we will begin to witness more marvellous creative expressions and productions in the entertainment space than we have in yesteryears.
Agriculture is one way for Nigeria to achieve true sustainability. We can have smart farms with 5G, where farm activities can be managed using robots, drones, and other devices to improve the quality and quantity of production and maximise results. Smart-enabled devices on smart farms process faster progress in cultivating, planting, manuring, and harvesting while minimising labour for farmers. Farmers can monitor market prices in real time, storage facilities for moisture and other issues, and if there are any complications, farmers can be alerted via SMS. Farmers will be able to work more efficiently and produce more food, reducing poverty, food scarcity, and the hike in food prices which favourably impacts the Nigerian economy.
Another possibility enabled by 5G is the Smart home. Realtors can design homes where every device is smart, responsive, and connected to meet the requirements of a new homeowner. Imagine arriving home to find your air conditioner, lights, and water heater already turned on. Your sound system plays relaxing music that has been pre-programmed. 5G technology allows a homeowner to be comfortable without performing any heavy lifting or home preparations. From anywhere in the world, they can tell if there has been a break-in, if their fridge has been opened, or if the lights have been turned off. This is a brand-new and exciting revolution in Nigerian real estate.
Filling out forms for financial institutions, government agencies, and other organisations is difficult for most people at the bottom of the pyramid. 5G will enable seamless voice-to-text applications, allowing illiterate or semi-literate people to fill out forms by speaking to an Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system – even in their native language – and thus access critical services by themselves. 5G will connect Nigerian consumers and businesses to themselves and the rest of the world in ways we couldn’t have imagined before.
This, according to the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, is one of the reasons MTN Nigeria invested so much in bringing this technology to Nigeria. “5G will enable new industries, unlock value chains, and open more doors for Nigerians.” We understand the possibilities of a digitally empowered society and are honoured to play our part in delivering this game-changing technology to our great nation. “This is what our ambition is by 2025- to build leading solutions for Africa’s progress, and today’s launch spearheads the next journey for us as we stay committed to sustainable advancement for Nigeria’s progress and that of our shareholders and customers,” he said.
As humans evolve, needs arise, and with needs come solutions. 5G technology has boundless solutions for Nigerians, and this truly promises to be an exciting time for all Nigerians as we get to experience the endless and quite breath-taking possibilities that 5G technology enables.