Since its introduction in Nigeria, the fifth-generation network (5G) has sparked various criticisms regarding its biological and health effects. After careful examination, the World Health Organisation has been able to debunk this theory stating that 5G networks pose little or no health risks to societies just like any other electromagnetic field. This affirmation has made African countries like Kenya and South Africa adopt the use of the 5G network.
Just recently, the Nigerian federal government represented by the Minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Pantami announced its intention to join the race. While speaking with newsmen at the end of the Federal Executive Council, Pantami said: “I presented it before the Federal Executive Council, which has also been approved after deliberation. That is the National Policy on Fifth Generation Networks for Nigeria’s digital economy, the national policy on 5G. So, that policy has been approved by the Federal Executive Council today.”
While the 5G network might be familiar to some people since it’s a topic that has been deliberated for close to two years in Nigeria, its meaning and essence remain new to a lot of individuals.
What is 5G?
The fifth-generation network (5G) is a new global wireless standard that proceeds 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G has been designed with an extended capacity that enables next-generation user experiences, empowers new deployment models, and delivers new services.
Reports claim that while it takes 22 minutes to download a high-definition movie on a 4G network, it will only take 32 seconds on a 5G network. Based on its elasticity, it can serve a million devices more than a 4G network would.
Benefits of 5G network in Nigeria
It’s no news that network providers in Nigeria can be pretty much unreliable when it comes to faster and secure connections. Emmanuella, a freelance content writer recalled how she lost a gig from a potential client due to Nigeria’s poor network connectivity. With the introduction of a 5G broadband network, internet users would have a more reliable connection.
5G networks also have low Latency. Latency measures how long a signal takes to go from its source to its receiver, and then back again. One of the goals for each wireless generation has been to reduce latency and 5G seems to have landed that score. Through the use of 5G networks, you can connect from one device to several others with ease, a development that would enhance work culture in organizations.
What you need to know about the National policy for 5G deployment in Nigeria
According to Pantami, the official authorization for the deployment of 5G network is a National policy that has been developed over two years but had to be put on hold due to three reasons.
When the project was first announced in 2020, there were speculations that it was linked to the spread of the coronavirus. Hence, it had to be put on to sensitize Nigerians on the deployment of the 5G network.
This measure was also taken to ensure the approval of the most important organizations involved in the deployment of telecommunication facilities: the International Telecommunications Union (I.T.U) and the World Health Organization who in turn confirmed that the 5G network does not have adverse health effects.
More so, the two-year halt was necessary because of the myriad of regulatory challenges that needed to be addressed before the 5G rollout. For instance how and where would the implementation be carried out.
After careful deliberations from the Federal communications and the organizations involved in the placement of network facilities, the 5G network has been said not to have adverse effects on citizens.
Proceeding this, the deployment would start from major cities in Africa after which other cities would begin to benefit from the 5G network.
Reactions
The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo has opined that Nigeria is ready in terms of infrastructure for 5G rollout across the country. In an interview with Arise, he said: “The approval of 5G technology for Nigeria is a welcome development that will enhance Nigeria’s drive towards a digital economy. The best we can have at this time as a country is the approval for 5G technology, the reason being that every successful generation of mobile technology services has brought improvement both in user experience and the quality of the service.”