Munolwisho Elizabeth Ipangelwa
Zach Kauraisa
The world has experienced each generation of mobile technology between the years 1980 to 2010, and each generation has introduced new advancements.
In 1980, the first generation known as 1G introduced the analogue voice as the first commercial automated cellular network.
In the early 1990s, the second generation known as 2G introduced the digital voice and encrypted digital transmissions from user devices to cell towers. The third generation known as 3G introduced mobile data in early 2000, which inspired consumers to start using the term “Smartphone”.
In 2010, 4G LTE was introduced as the fourth generation, which enabled the widespread use of mobile internet and ushered mobile technology in the era of mobile broadband.
Each generation of mobile technology introduced a faster, more secure and more reliable connectivity than the previous generation.
The next generation of communication networks and services is in our midst, and since 2019, countries such as South Korea and the United States are leading the world in deploying 5G technology. The fifth generation of wireless broadband, known as 5G wireless technology is aimed at delivering higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, intelligent connectivity, extensive network capacity and improved efficiency to empower new user experience and connects new industries. Moreover, 5G offers connection must be faster than any other generation including 4G LTE.
Beyond the faster speeds and lower latency, the connectivity of 5G has evolved from providing access to the internet of things, to powering complex infrastructure and elevating the operations of various sectors, such as oil and gas, aviation and education, which supports the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Benefits of 5G
In the aftermath of Covid-19, we have seen that the demand for wireless technology has risen. With social distancing, working remotely and automation of systems, each of these trends has reduced face-to-face interaction and has increased reliance on mobile technology and wireless.
Applications for 5G technology on a national level include smart city services which will take the form of e-learning, e-health, e-government, mobile banking and various e-business applications for logistics design and inventory management.
Risks of 5G
Despite the benefits, 5G technology is characterised by high upfront capital expenditure, low returns on investment in the early years, and high levels of uncertainty regarding future market demand in frontier economies.
High income countries have made strides in this area but the world still awaits proven business cases and policy cases to effectively roll out 5G. Resultantly, low and middle income countries have seen low implementation and investment.
5G in Namibia
The mobile broadband in Namibia is evolving and there have been discussions to implement 5G in Namibia. The Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has not awarded any Spectrum Licences for the deployment of 5G in Namibia – although there has been a 3 500 MHz spectrum band allocated, it is not utilised for 5G. Namibia remains stagnant in the second, third and fourth generation of mobile technology due to lack of resources and also the revision of Namibia’s ICT Policy and Implementation Plan, and the absence of strategic initiatives geared towards the deployment of 5G.
The implementation of 5G touches on several key areas within the jurisdiction of policymakers and regulators in Namibia and globally, such as spectrum regulations and several important practical, legal and policy issues arising from the deployment of 5G.
As the private and public sectors shift to digital systems and leverage 5G, the secure transfer of data and security of transactions will come to the forefront of policy discussion. The Electronic Transactions Act 4 of 2019 served as the first step in Namibia’s efforts to regulate internet business activity. This Act provides for the Electronic Information Systems Management Advisory Council (which is currently being established), which is tasked with, among other things, assisting the minister in developing regulations for electronic communications and the coordination of information technology developments in Namibia. This council and CRAN are set to play a major role in the 5G policy development.
Policy considerations and challenges of 5G
5G may take years to become convincingly attractive to consumers and business users. Thus, 5G policy structures in middle income countries such as Namibia are encouraged to be long term with a strategic rollout, light regulation and strong private sector consultation.
Policymakers are encouraged to position Namibia as a ‘fast learner’ rather than an ‘early mover’. ‘Early mover’ countries often take on a lot of risks when implementing a new technology, which leads to high technology costs, failed business models and lack of market penetration. The ‘fast learner’ approach will involve closely monitoring leading countries and implementing proven policies quickly after they are proved.
One area where light regulation will be crucial is the building and site permits for 5G’s small cell base stations (called ‘Small Area Wireless Access Points’). Hundreds of small cell base stations may need to be set up across the country and for the implementation of 5G to be effective, the costs and procedural hurdles for small scale operations must remain low.
As mentioned before, 5G infrastructure is costly. However, in China, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have agreed to pool resources for the construction of a 5G network to reduce financial risk, this common network infrastructure is subsequently shared. In the absence of this kind of collaboration between private sector MNOs, the government can finance the construction of neutral 5G infrastructure which will offer a wholesale service to new market entrants, which may share such neutral infrastructure.
Conclusion
CRAN is encouraged to develop priority frequency bands allocated for 5G networks and adopt new spectrum licensing mechanisms to not only allow for investor friendly license conditions (e.g. longer durations, lower pricing and tax breaks) to attract investment, but also to incorporate a bidding mechanism for increased competition, which will ultimately maximize government revenues.
Government has a huge responsibility of spearheading the implementation of the 5G in Namibia by revising Namibia’s ICT Policy and Implementation Plan and implementing Strategic Initiatives geared towards the deployment of 5G in Namibia. However, the success of the deployment of the 5G is highly dependent on international policy and regulatory activities, such as global technical standards and harmonisation for wireless services.