As telecoms operators around the world are racing to deploy Fifth Generation (5G) network with its promise of faster speeds and lower latency, Nigeria continues with a snail-pace movement for the new technology kickoff.
With various reservations from the Federal Government over the deployment of 5G, the time for its reality has become uncertain.
Recently, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has said that the report on the deployment of 5G network in Nigeria is ready, but it will not go live until experts from all the country’s major sectors recommend its deployment.
According to the minister, who spoke in a virtual Annual General Meeting and Induction of new members by the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), the government would not deploy the newest telecom network until professionals from health, telecom, ICT, engineering, defense, financial, media sectors and others made recommendations for its deployment.
“There must be unanimous decision from chosen experts from all the country’s major sectors before the government give go ahead for 5G deployment.
“Though 5G is very important, overall safety of Nigerians supersedes its importance. He said if the experts found out it was safe and recommend its deployment, it would be deployed. But if it is found not to be safe for deployment in the country we will not deploy it,’’ Pantami said.
He added that the 5G deployment was stalled in some countries across the world due to conspiracy theory around its safety.
DAILY INDEPENDENT recalled that the Senate had on May 5, 2020 called on the Federal Government to suspend the planned deployment of the 5G network.
In Nigeria, like some other countries around the world, conspiracy theories about 5G are yet to abate.
While Nigeria continues to wait for a more convenient time for 5G deployment, Samsung Research this week released a paper laying down its plan for 6G technology in a few years time. In anticipation of the development, companies are working towards building the infrastructure for and commercial launch of 5G technology.
5G is the 5th generation mobile network, is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks that enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.
But as the coronavirus pandemic tightened its grip on a world which struggled to comprehend the enormity of the situation it was facing, darker forces were concocting their own narratives about 5G.