Fifth-generation (5G) mobile telecommunication technologies can add value and solve several consumer and business challenges in Africa.

Previous-generation mobile broadband technologies have limitations regarding network capacity, spectral efficiency and latency, but 5G is well-positioned to ameliorate concerns around the inefficiencies of previous mobile broadband generations, says information and communication technology market research multinational IDC West Africa senior research analyst Oluwole Babatope.

Many connectivity issues are technology- agnostic, meaning challenges are not introduced by the technology but by network coverage, network capacity and local nuances in technology deployment.

These issues can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by isolating the root cause, whether in fixed or mobile connectivity deployments.

For organisations, investigating 5G is an intelligent investment into enterprise solutions that allow for the creation of device ecosystems and smart platforms, Babatope says.

“One of the first benefits is the obvious improvement in higher broadband speeds, but 5G service providers need to avoid positioning 5G as simply an ultrafast broadband technology. This is because, depending on several technicalities, fourth-generation (4G) networks and WiFi can be configured to deliver ultra-high speeds as well.

“The value proposition of 5G is the services that can be delivered, the experiences that can be curated and how the networks can create improvements that extend beyond connectivity,” he notes.

“Service providers can also leverage 5G to enable business support services like the Internet of Things, virtual reality and software-defined wide-area networking. Service providers must look for gaps in experiences created by 4G limitations owing to network capacity or latency, for example, and to propose 5G solutions. There are immense benefits interlocked with 5G innovations,” he adds.