5G is the latest generation of mobile communication technology that promises faster speeds, lower latency, and higher capacity for data transmission.
5G has the potential to enable new applications and services that can transform various sectors and industries, such as health, education, agriculture, manufacturing, and entertainment.
But what is the state of 5G development in Africa, and what are the opportunities and challenges facing its deployment and adoption on the continent?
By The Numbers
According to a report by GSMA, the global association of mobile operators, Africa is expected to have 30 million 5G connections by 2026, accounting for about 3% of the total mobile connections on the continent. This is a relatively low share compared to other regions, such as North America (51%), Europe (31%), and Asia Pacific (27%).
However, this does not mean that Africa is lagging behind in 5G innovation and experimentation. In fact, several African countries have already launched or are planning to launch commercial or trial 5G networks in the near future.
5G Development In Africa
In January 2021, the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) signed an agreement with Huawei Technologies Company to accelerate the deployment of 5G networks in Africa. The agreement is expected to facilitate the development of policies and strategies for 5G deployment, as well as capacity building and the provision of technical assistance to African countries.
Currently, only seven African countries have launched commercial 5G services as of June 2021: South Africa, Lesotho, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Gabon, and Madagascar.
Lesotho
The first country to announce a live commercial deployment of 5G in Africa was Lesotho, where Vodacom launched a standards-based 5G network on the 3.5 GHz spectrum in August 2018.
The network initially served two enterprise customers in the mining and financial sectors, with plans to expand to more users as more devices become available and affordable.
South Africa
The second country to launch a commercial 5G network was South Africa, which is also the most advanced market for 5G in Africa.
In February 2020, Rain, a data-only mobile operator, opened its commercial fixed wireless access (FWA) service using Huawei equipment on the 3.6 GHz spectrum. The service offers unlimited data at speeds up to 700 Mbps for R1,000 ($68) per month. Rain has deployed over 700 base stations across Johannesburg and Pretoria as of October 2020.
In May 2020, MTN South Africa followed suit by launching its own commercial FWA service using Ericsson equipment on both the licensed (3.6 GHz) and unlicensed (28 GHz) spectrum bands. The service offers speeds up to 100 Mbps for R499 ($34) per month with a cap of 200 GB per month. MTN has also rolled out over 100 base stations across Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town.
Other African countries that have launched or are planning to launch trial or pilot 5G networks include Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Gabon, Morocco, Egypt,
Tunisia and Ghana.
Key Actions
Some of the key actions that could facilitate 5G development in Africa are:
- Allocating sufficient and harmonized spectrum for 5G in a timely and transparent manner
- Promoting infrastructure sharing and co-investment models to reduce costs and risks
- Encouraging innovation and competition in the 5G ecosystem, including local content and applications
- Ensuring affordability and availability of 5G devices and services for consumers and businesses
- Developing digital skills and literacy among the population to increase awareness and adoption of 5G
- Addressing cybersecurity and privacy issues related to 5G networks and services
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