•As They Poll Out In NIGERIA
As 5G has become the latest standard in the telecommunications industry worldwide, a lot of operators around the world have been rolling out 5G networks including in the United States, China and Municipalities of Monaco, while some other countries are trying to get on the bandwagon.
The trial of the 5G technology was concluded in Nigeria in February but it is unclear when this new standard with promises of a speed of up to 10 Gbits per second and a latency of I MS will eventually be deployed in Nigeria. If 5G will be realizable in Nigeria, there are challenges the operators must surmount to make it possible. Here are 5 of them?
(1) THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES
There have been a lot of conspiracy theories about 5G to the point that people are burning down masts in various cities of the world. One of the craziest of them all is that it is actually causing the coronavirus pandemic. There is also the conspiracy theory that 5G is coming to usher in the “end times” A prominent religious leader in Lagos has told his congregation to resist 5G. The networks will need to do a lot of education to quell this theory if they are to deploy peacefully.
(2) RADIATION CONTROVERSIES
One of the most legitimate debates concerning the deployment of 5G in Nigeria is whether the radiation levels is dangerous to health or not. There is radiation all around us. There is even radiation from the sun. There have been arguments that radiation from telecommunications masts and base stations is dangerous to health. Furthermore, proponents of this argument posit that since the band that 5G occupies in the electromagnetic spectrum is higher than the other technologies, the radiation level is high. However, studies for more than 30 years have not shown that the non-ionizing part of the electromagnetic spectrum has any adverse effects on health of humans and animals. This is why it has been approved all around the world, including in the United States by the FCC. There will have to be clarity and more education before the operators can convince over the populace on this.
(3) LANDED PROPERTIES
One of the challenges of the 5G technology is that it utilizes a high frequency and low wavelength band, meaning that 5G masts need to be much closer to each other to be as functional as intended. Hence, the operators cannot simply just hook a mast unto an existing antenna. They will need to acquire landed properties and hence will have to deal with a lot of problems to be successful in doing this.
(4) FINANCIAL CHALLENGES
The deployment of 5G technology is capital intensive and there will be a lot of hardware and programs involved. As a result of the high-frequency spectrum of the technology, the masts will have to be closer together. This means that the operators need to source for capitals to be able to deploy the network in Nigeria. They also need to devise ways to maximize distance and reduce the financial burden of a possible deployment.
(5) MARKET
Everyone is talking about 5G in Nigeria whether for good or for bad but is the country really ready for 5G deployment or does it have a market for it. Apparently, the country is yet to utilize the full complement of the 4G technology, so what is the big deal about 5G technology. The operators need to carry out a market survey to find out if there is really a market for 5G technology.
–KELECHI OKORIE
