Aduragbemi Omiyale
5G technology has divided public opinion across the globe. Stories of international data farming, societal controls and even claims of involvement in creating the current COVID-19 pandemic have tarnished its reputation in recent months.
As the conspiracy theories subside, the world pushes forward with plans to implement this game-changing tech and the list of “5G ready” countries looks set to boom in 2021 with Nigeria poised proudly at the front of the queue.
What is 5G?
The fifth-generation network is a wireless connection that makes use of a combination of large radio towers and smaller transmitters to bring an ultra-high frequency signal within reach of populated areas.
Using this signal, entire nations can effectively be transformed into a giant wireless network to connect everyone and everything in its path.
5G technology has been in the pipeline since 2011 when studies of millimetre waves led to research into what is now known as 5G. It’s taken several years of research and testing to get us to this point, but it’s now billed to become the telecom industry standard during the next 20 years.
The production of 5G-ready devices is still very much in its infancy and is certainly playing catch up. Current mobile phones with 4G capabilities aren’t physically able to use the network and neither are the vast majority of tech products in people’s homes.
The race is now on to connect everyone and everything to one super network that will transform businesses not only in terms of day-to-day efficiency but also in the way that user activity data can be relayed and used to enhance marketing methods.
How will 5G benefit business in Nigeria?
As with all countries, Nigerian businesses will use the new tech to transform their everyday activity into a more streamlined version of itself.
In the wake of the current pandemic, remote working is set to remain on the up and 5G’s ability to provide incredibly low latency rates means that online meetings will become as fast and crisp as their face-to-face counterparts.
Not only will low latency improve everyday activities around the office, but it will also mean big advances in the reliability of robotics. Self-drive cars, for example, rely on real-time reactions to adjust to sudden changes in the immediate environment and 5G will help to eliminate safety concerns in this area.
Lighting quick internet connection will also help enhance the online gaming community and pave the way for Nigeria to build on its recent success in La Cup D’Africana tournament where they took the top spot in the biggest PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) competition on the continent.
Online casinos are another key area of growth that stands to make big gains from an optimised user experience thanks to 5G technology.
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The housing sector is on course to become an unlikely beneficiary from 5G networks in the coming years as advances in VR, AR and 3D technology will be used to present realistic walkthroughs and detailed presentations of property that will bring real estate marketing into a new era of high-tech marketing.
Demand for property in Nigeria has doubled over the last couple of years and this could be eased dramatically as the production of housing materials becomes more efficient and streamlined in the wake of new network capabilities.
When will 5G be available in Nigeria?
The long-awaited final announcement from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) looks set to be upon us shortly as discussions with key stakeholders are entering their final stages.
After trials were rolled out during 2019, the NCC has made use of a consultation period to assess the health implications and environmental impact of the new 5G infrastructure. No huge concerns have been raised and the final piece of the puzzle is largely a question of finances as the commission clarifies who the major players will be in this market.
Although no fixed date has been set, it does look to be increasingly likely that early 2021 will see the country join the super-fast internet elite.
