The executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said the fifth generation (5G) network holds enormous potentials to bring about innovative changes in mobile connectivity as well as boost Nigeria’s economy.
He made this assertion in his keynote address titled ‘5G Deployment: Catalyst for Digital Transformation in Nigeria’ at the International Conference on Multidisciplinary Engineering and Applied Sciences (ICMEAS) 2021 that place at the Nile University, Abuja today (July 15).
He explained that the goal of the commission was to see that Nigeria became one of the leading nations with 5G technology deployed in a manner that would be beneficial to all the stakeholders and contribute maximally to the digital economy policy of the Federal Government.
“The FG will provide an enabling environment for the 5G deployment, but the MNOs will determine their own deployment strategies subject to alignment to the approved policies and other regulatory instruments in force,” he said.
Danbatta again allayed the fears of the alleged dangers of the electromagnetic fields emitted by the wireless communications infrastructure that would be generated by 5G, saying tests were conducted in accordance with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines for general public exposure to time varying electromagnetic fields, which eliminated any fear of health hazards.
“The results of the test shows that radiation from 5G infrastructure is far below the ICNIRP specification for protection of members of the public and therefore suggest that no public health hazards are expected from the use of 5G in Nigeria,” he said.
Represented by the commission’s director of technical standards, Engr. Bako Wakil, the NCC boss averred that 5G is already connecting people, things, data, applications, transport systems and cities in smart, networked communication environment and supporting applications such as smart homes and buildings, smart cities, autonomous vehicle (with Tesia and Uber leading the way), 3D videos, remote medical services, virtual and augmented reality and massive machine-to-machine communications for industry automation, as well as many new innovations yet to come.
“The technology will impact on the way interactions are done by enabling in some cases unforeseen business models, enhanced lifestyles, all resulting in increased productivity. Some of the technologies already being touted include automated cars and advanced manufacturing, internet of things (IOTs) which will enable thousands of connected devices, such as smart energy meters, working together and sharing information.
“These changes and innovation have enormous economic benefits, which the IHS Economics estimated that 5G would enable $12.3 trillion of global economic output in 2035,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, the vice chancellor, Nile University, Prof. Osman Aras, said the aim of the conference was to promote an enabling platform for researchers, professionals and students in the industry across fields of engineering and applied sciences to share the current research work and exchange ideas to form collaborations for the advancement of knowledge, technology and multidisciplinary research.
