Way Forward For 5G Amid Infrastructure Challenge In Nigeria

Mafab Communications Ltd announced the debut of its Fifth Generation (5G) network services on January 24, 2023, claiming that it will usher in a new age of limitless possibilities and provide Nigerians more chances to expand their enterprises and find employment in the field of the digital economy.

Mafab Communications is one of the three companies (along with MTN) that won the bid for the 5G 3.5GHz Spectrum licenses issued by the Nigerian government after a competitive auction sale last year to deploy 5G services in the nation. 5G is intended to improve connectivity with greater speed and it creates new, intelligent systems.

The Chairman of Mafab Communications, Dr. Musbahu Bahir, noted in his address at the elaborate launch of the network services and unveiling of the company’s new logo in Abuja, in the presence of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, that “the launch of Mafab 5G network is the beginning of immense opportunities for the country and it represents Nigeria’s capabilities and infinite possibilities.”

According to him, the nation will experience a broad range of economic prospects thanks to the 5G network, allowing different commercial organizations to extend their borders quickly and easily.

The benefits of 5G, he continued, “will not only benefit urban areas but also meet our long-term goal of ensuring that even people in rural areas and villages enjoy benefits of this amazing technology,” especially in the fields of education, medical sciences, engineering, security, financial services, SMEs, smart cities, transportation, and entertainment.

He emphasized how Nigerians would become more innovative and competitive on the world stage thanks to 5G, which will also boost the country’s socioeconomic situation. “Nigeria will undoubtedly be a step ahead of many other nations, particularly in Africa, with 5G infrastructure. Our future as a people and as a nation is indeed extremely bright with the 5G network, he said.

Mafab, a local business, expressed upbeat about its endeavors in the industry. A new technology like Mafab, however, necessitates new institutions, which might present new difficulties for the country in terms of investment and reach. For instance, only the nation’s biggest cities now have access to the 5 G technology, not the whole nation. This would imply that larger regions of the nation are cut off and may need to wait a while before they can take use of the technology’s benefits.

Capital expenditures (CAPEX) and security challenges for 5G deployment, according to industry analysts, are highly costly and may deter investment since only a small number of enterprises can participate in the process.

The issue of low fiber penetration in Nigeria also presents additional obstacle since coverage of optical fiber cable in Nigeria continues to be an issue, particularly in large cities where 5G is to be implemented. The Right of Way (RoW), which the federal government, several states, and local governments seem to have not sufficiently handled, is a related aspect of this issue. The lack of 5G equipment, which have multiband compatibility for higher and lower frequency, and a limited electrical supply, are further problems.

Despite these difficulties, analysts believe that Nigeria cannot afford to wait until everything is perfect before introducing 5G since time may not be on its side.

Deolu Ogubanjo, president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscriber (NATCOMS), said in a statement to MINIECHAT that it is still preferable to have 5G installed in Nigeria since a delay might have a detrimental impact on the nation.

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“Nigeria is a developing nation, and I must warn you that if we wait the deployment of 5G till everything is in place, we may lag behind other countries,” he stated. Now let’s start mobilizing everything is needed to make it great and deploy it. If we don’t adopt it now, we may never get it properly as China is even considering 6G.

Ajibola Olude, the Executive Secretary of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said the nation must implement 5G since the current infrastructure is suitable for supporting the technology in a Tuesday interview with MINIECHAT.

He said, “With the amount of infrastructure that we now have in place, as a nation and as an industry, we are prepared for 5G. In Nigeria, 5G is already being implemented by MTN and others. Mafab tried its own a few weeks ago, and it functioned, so we have the infrastructure to support it.

Even while he acknowledged that the technology may not be implemented nationwide right once, he continued by saying that the 3.5Ghz spectrum designated for it is what is required for it everywhere in the globe.

While it may not be able to move about for the time being, the deployment goal is for it to be used in roughly six commercial cities in Nigeria. We are considering the states of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and a few others. We will thus progressively relocate to other states.

About the problems with RoW, Olude said that the operators could easily get them as they are speaking with the states’ concerns and are hoping that the problem will be resolved.

Miniechat

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