FEATURE : 5G
The promise of 5G technology
Fifth-generation wireless ( 5G ) is the latest iteration of cellular technology , engineered to greatly increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks . These speeds exceed wireline network speeds and offer latency of one millisecond or lower , which is useful for applications that require realtime feedback . Industry pundits share insights behind the rapid adoption of 5G technology and what this means for CIOs in Africa , writes Manda Banda .
With 5G technology deployments sweeping across Africa , data transmitted over wireless broadband connections can travel at multigigabit speeds , with potential peak speeds as high as 20 gigabits per second ( Gbps ) by some estimates . 5G technology is already enabling a sharp increase in the amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to more available bandwidth and advanced antenna technology . Industry experts estimate that 5G networks and services in the Middle East and Africa ( MEA ) region will be deployed in stages over the next several years to accommodate the increasing reliance on mobile and Internet-enabled devices . Overall , 5G is expected to generate a variety of new applications , uses and business cases as the technology gets widely rolled out in the region .
According the Ericsson Mobility Report , published in 2020 , it predicts that 5G will reach 80 million subscriptions in the Middle East and North Africa ( MENA ) region by 2025 , which will account for 10 % of the total mobile subscriptions .
The UAE ’ s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority ( TRA ) was among the first in the region to begin its preparations for 5G at an early stage . In March 2018 , TRA allocated 200 MHz of frequency spectrum to operators in that country to deploy 5G services and in May the same year , the UAE successfully became the first in the Middle East to launch 5G in its commercial form to the public , thanks to mobile operator Etisalat .
Yarob Sakhnini , Vice President , Emerging Market , EMEA , Juniper Networks , said 5G remains a priority for a number of MEA countries because of the endless economic possibilities that can be unlocked . Sakhnini said countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia have already started 5G implementation and are well positioned to benefit from the transition to the new generation of mobile technologies .
“ Mobile network operators in the Middle East and Africa are either deploying 5G network infrastructures or carrying out 5G trials . The majority of carriers are focusing on tapping the ever-increasing demand for higher-speed , greater capacity broadband services by rolling out basic 5G services such as enhanced mobile broadband ,” he said . “ However , 5G technology is already evolving from being just a fast mobile broadband network to an enabler of ultra-low-latency applications such as Augmented Reality ( AR ), virtual reality ( VR ) and real-time interactive gaming .”
He added that for industries and manufacturers , 5G capabilities will enable massive machine-type communication and accelerate the MEA ’ s IoT and M2M industry . “ As national agendas increasingly focus on connected cars , grid management , fleet management , utility metre reading , track and trace systems for logistics and other intelligent machinedriven capabilities , we will likely see the emergence of Industry 4.0 in the region ,” he said .
According to Sakhnini , 5G is now real , bringing the new monetisation opportunities that these deployments can enable for operators . “ Enterprises in MEA can benefit from 5G capacity and low latency adopting many of the existing use cases around : real-time remote monitoring and surveillance useful in the oil and gas
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