Is Uganda ready for 5G Internet?

Jul 14, 2022

5G Internet is a game changer because it gives 100 times higher Internet rates and cuts down the latency than 4G

Is Uganda ready for 5G Internet?

Fred Emukule
Journalist @New Vision

So far in East Africa, Kenya is the only country that has introduced Fifth Generation or 5G Internet as it is commonly known in the Internet space.

Currently, Safaricom, which was the first telecommunication company to introduce the Internet technology, is running experiments in some parts of Kenya. 

5G Internet is a game changer because it gives 100 times higher Internet rates and cuts down the latency than 4G. It can also accommodate one million devices per kilometer square, whereas 4G is limited to 100,000.

If properly spread out across the entire country, it means that Kenyans will be able to enjoy faster Internet downloads and also be able to enjoy new technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), which require broad bandwidth with low latency and both run at an internet speed of 100 MBPS for AR and 25 MBPS for VR.

5G technology would also benefit those in the entertainment, healthcare, education, transportation, and energy sectors.

Following in the footsteps of Kenya, MTN Uganda, last year announced plans to roll out 5G Internet, saying the network would bring more speed, with an expected speed of 600 times faster than 4G, allowing for more device connectivity, a huge boost in Internet commerce, the creation of jobs, and innovation and creativity. 

However, with Kenya having 94% of its population already subscribed to 4G internet and Uganda having 80% of its population shared between 3G and 4G internet and the recent taxes levied upon internet bundles, the question is, is Uganda ready for 5 G? 

For 5G Internet to be able to happen in Uganda, there has to be structures that enable its presence in the country and usage. This means people having smartphones that can enable 5G technology. However, numbers by GSMA showed that smartphone penetration stood at 16% among Ugandans, which was way lower than the 30% average for Sub-Saharan Africa.

David Birungi, the public relations officer for Airtel, is concerned that Uganda is not yet ready. He said instead of Uganda thinking about 5G technology right now, the country should be focusing on growing accessibility to smartphones by lowering the prices of entry level smartphones.

“Why rush when we still have a lot of groundwork to do? If people cannot afford smartphones, who will use the 5G internet when it is here? Birungi asked.

If Uganda is to benefit from this technology, the Government needs to prepare the ground, ahead of the commercial rollout of the new Internet-based technology. 

Garvin Gaofei, the Huawei Uganda managing director says Uganda had this technology as early as yesterday. However, the country must prepare for it beforehand. “For now, you need policies that facilitate the development and investment in this technology, but also policies that protect the service providers and the users.”

According to Gaofei, the Government should invest in and also facilitate the availability of 5G enabled devices because currently there are none in the country. 

He said aside from the policies and devices that support the technology, there is a need to set up a spectrum that supports 5G operation in the country. “The equipment providers also need to be ready, and the service providers need to be sensitised to know how to invest and provide Internet using this platform,” he said. 

5 G in Context

If 5G were to happen in Uganda today, it means that more towers would be required due to the fact that 5G internet travels data in such a short distance at a very high speed.

The American Tower Corporation (ATC Uganda), which is the leading tower and mast provider in the country says on average, they build about 400 masts a year. If 5G were to happen, the company would be required to build about 600 masts a year.

If fully functional, Ugandans would be able to transfer and send heavy data very fast. However, another question to ask is, do we have the demand for 5G connectivity in Uganda?

The fact remains that the amount of data most Ugandans transfer or share is light. There is minimal usege of sophisticated technologies such as quantum physics, AR, and VR, which require high-speed data and running data.

That said, it would not be fair to conclude that the country does not have the demand for 5G Internet, but if at all it is there, how many Ugandans use AR, VR, and do work related to quantum physics? According to experts in the field, Uganda has not yet fully achieved 100% coverage of 4G Internet and, therefore, thinking about 5G right now is biting more than the country can chew.

Pros

According to reports, the 5G network can support up to one million devices per square kilometer, compared to 100,000 devices per square kilometer on the current 4G LTE network. This means that the 5G network is ideal for providing extremely fast Internet speeds in densely-populated areas and connecting thousands of devices, such as those used in manufacturing and logistics management processes. Since there is more capacity, this kind of Internet will allow for innovation hubs thrive.

Cons

  • Only a small portion of the world is covered by this network.
  • The broadcast distance has been reduced due to the fact that it travels in such a short distance.
  • Although the upload rates are fast, the batteries in the devices used so far have deteriorated.
  • Cyber security threats may increase due to a lack of encryption in early connection processes.

 

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