5G has been a hot topic recently. If you are not familiar with the term, you can see our related articles.
Even for people who know the standards, there were still doubts about the need to implement 5G in Africa. Huawei, in the October 26, 2020 edition of News, shared some points (7, to be more precise) that may convince even the most skeptical:
1) Set the pace
A report on 5G in Africa by the GSMA, a global business organization for mobile operators, estimates that only seven African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, will have 5G by 2025. And that will represent only 3% of the mobile services given compared to 16% globally.
2) Reduce costs
After 5G takes off in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, the annual gain of mmWave 5G will grow much faster from 2026, closing the gap between early and late adopters.
3) Business model
Currently, 5G technology in Africa should not only target consumer devices directly, as most Africans keep the devices for about 4 years or more. In the African market, there must be some clear business models in the use of 5G for fixed wireless access or using Equipment at the Customer Facility and certain industry-specific use cases, such as tourism, hospitality, mining and media transmission.
4) Less taxes for operators
The myth that 5G is too expensive because of hardware and technology should be dropped. In fact, a large proportion of the cost comes from obstacles such as the approval process and alternatives. A key solution to the business model challenge on the continent is to reduce network costs, from spectrum to backhaul and taxes levied on operators, data, mobile money and devices. Governments can play a key role in helping to resolve these barriers by taking a leadership position and committing to provide that support.
5) 5G is a truly revolutionary technology. Staying behind during the 3G and 4G era does not necessarily prevent a society from making the most of 5G
Unlike previous generations of mobile technology, which tended to present a unique innovative feature to users (1G allows you to walk and talk, 2G allows you to send texts, 3G allows you to enter the internet and 4G allows you to transmit), 5G promises a complete set of dramatic improvements. It uses an entirely new wireless infrastructure to reach speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G and promises to eliminate almost all processing delays. It will also kick-start the Internet of Things, as it was designed to connect billions of machines, devices and sensors at low cost without draining batteries.
6) 5G brings many changes that perfectly meet the needs of African countries
While 5G sets the stage for new opportunities in many fields, its three main advantages are MBMB (enhanced mobile broadband), URLLC (Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications), mMTC (massive machine type communications) will bring disruptions to industries that much of the country aims to develop, such as:
Manufacturing
The strengthening of the manufacturing and self-sufficiency sector has been given more priority since the outbreak of COVID-19. 5G is designed to help manufacturing production operations become more flexible and efficient, while improving safety and reducing maintenance costs.
Energy and utilities
Critical infrastructures like energy and utilities will benefit from 5G technologies, which can create more innovative solutions in energy production, transmission, distribution and use, as well as the next wave of smart grid resources and efficiency.
Agriculture
Farmers around the world are using IoT technology to optimize agricultural processes, including water management, fertigation, livestock safety and crop monitoring, the report noted. 5G can enable real-time data collection, allowing farmers to monitor, track and automate agricultural systems to increase profitability, efficiency and security.
7) 5G can help Africa, even for the next pandemic
The potential for innovation through digitization is enormous in the healthcare sector, and this will be accelerated with the introduction of 5G technology. In the context of Southern Africa, this could be particularly beneficial, as healthcare through mobile devices will allow those in remote areas to have access to life-saving assistance. The 5G technology will also allow real-time access to health data, the use of wearable technology and even bring the reality of remote surgery closer. Through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), 5G can assist in training medical professionals remotely.
Article prepared by the Huawei Angola team, originally published in News and published in MenosFios with authorization from the author's press office.
