COVID-19 and The True Side of 5G Network

Most of the conversation in the broadband industry today is about the 5G; its advantages and when it is going to be fully deployed. The global COVID-19 outbreak has also not helped the popularity of this mobile technology. Especially public concerns about its health implications. 

There are rounds of beliefs that COVID-19 is caused by radiation emitted from  5G masts. These beliefs might be unavoidable due to the overwhelming description of how much 5G would transform a lot of processes in the world. Potential use cases of 5G such as vehicles communicating with each other, telemedicine and precision surgery are very mind-boggling and one can only imagine that these kinds of futuristic living can only come at a cost.

However, relying on the fact that neither the World Health Organisation, WHO nor any research linked the coronavirus to any telecom technologies such as 5G, it is worth it to continue to broadcast the socio-economic benefit of the technology. 

Each generation of networks brought with it a significant milestone in the development of mobile communication. 

The main advantage of 5G is that it will deliver blazing fast and clear internet and call connections with very low power consumption. Imagine the following; using your Android phone to browse for up to a week on a single charge, being able to download a 2Gb movie in less than 2 minutes. 

The speed and low power will also enable the internet of things technology where sensors and smart devices will communicate with each other or where all the devices in your home can be controlled with just a single remote control. With 5G, cities and other municipalities will operate more efficiently. Imagine being sent an alert on your mobile phone about huge traffic on your usual road to work, with also descriptions of alternatives routes to take to avoid the traffic. All these will work efficiently on 5G.

Presently, internet services in Nigeria are currently provided on 2G, 3G, and increasingly 4G mobile networks. Investors have shifted from the deployment of 2G coverage, which currently stands at 89%, towards 3G and increasingly 4G coverage at 74% and 37% respectively. 

Currently, the broadband penetration rate of Nigeria is 38.49% as measured in terms of 3G and 4G connections divided by the total population. Although this rate indicates that the primary objective of the first National Broadband plan was achieved by increasing broadband penetration from the 6% rate in 2012 by a multiple of 5, the penetration is very deficient in fixed connection. 

Mobile broadband connections which are high-speed internet access delivered over a mobile phone network such as CDMA, GSM or 3G, 3.5G or 4G LTE account for approximately 99.8% of the broadband base while fixed connections that deliver broadband from the backbone of the internet by using base stations to transfer the signal from building to building, like a satellite are at 0.2%.  

Also, based on the services available online and usage patterns today, the current broadband speed definition of 1.5 Mbps in rural areas and 3Mbps in urban areas in Nigeria is inadequate to meet the robust 4G requirements now and 5G broadband technologies, going forward.

In comparison with other countries with similar income levels as Nigeria, the current download speed of Nigeria lags behind. 

At a download speed of 1.5Mbps, Nigeria’s download speed lags behind Kenya and South-Africa by 6.12 and 6.9Mbps respectively. Thus, speed, quality of service, access available via public institutions through fixed connections i.e. schools, hospitals, and MDAs has made the end-user adoption of broadband technology not to reflect the increased penetration of the technology. This calls for more investment in fixed broadband infrastructure because they are far more reliable, less likely to be strangled by slow speeds and data usage caps. Fixed infrastructure will also be required to support the 4th Industrial Revolution applications including Smart City, IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous vehicles and other advanced technologies that would rely on the advent of 5G.

The result of a report regarded as a comprehensive assessment of how ICT impacts the competitiveness and well-being of nations show that Nigeria needs to close a lot of gaps to attain a competitive digital economy. The competitiveness and well-being of the nations were assessed across the thematic areas of technology(access, content and future technology), people(individuals, businesses and government), governance(trust, regulation, and inclusion), and Impact( economy, quality of life and SDG contribution).  In the assessment, Nigeria obtained a score of 28,  ranking 111 out of 121 which is poor compared to the ranking of other Africa regions like Mauritius with score 53, rank 53, South Africa score 47, rank 72 and Egypt score 39, rank 92.      

Having gone through a major recession and currency devaluation as a result of low oil export prices 2016 and faced with the present global oil crisis, the time is now than never to diversify the nation’s earnings away from over-dependence of oil. The challenge of putting the 23% of unemployed and 55% of the youth unemployed population to work also echoes the need for rapid economic diversification actions that will accelerate rapid economic growth. Thus significant investments in agriculture, infrastructure, and broadband are necessary to this effect. In a century where permanent internet connection with high-speed data transmission is the motivation for high-level technological innovation and industrialization Nigeria’s need for ubiquitous broadband access cannot be overemphasized. Every 10% increase in broadband penetration results in about 2.6% to 3.8% growth in GDP.

Although at present, the Nigerian telecoms sector has grown to contribute 10.6% to GDP driven largely by four major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) who provide services to over 96.76% of 184.7 Million active lines, an increase in the broadband coverage through adequate investment has the potential to create jobs, rapidly expand the tax base, and improve digital literacy and educational standards. This will also address identity management and security challenges through the effective use of technology, increase financial inclusion and deliver a broad range of services to its people to improve the quality of life and work towards the attainment of Social Development Goals set by the UN for 2030.

We hope that the launch of the new national broadband plan for 2020-2025 which visualizes a 90 percent 4G/5G national broadband coverage by 2025 is strictly followed. This might be the best opportunity for industrialization and to be among the top 20 economies in the world.