Does Africa need a enabling policy environment for 5G?

An enabling policy environment is essential for the success of 5G in Africa. Accordingly, governments and regulators need to foster a pro-investment and pro-innovation environment to support cost-efective network rollout and the development of innovative use cases to stimulate demand.

Who needs a private 5G network in South Africa?

In South Africa, for example, MTN is building private 5G networks for 14 companies in the mining and ports sectors. Most stakeholders in the 5G Africa Survey envisage demand for private 5G networks in their market, with mining, ports, oil and gas, education and agriculture among the prospective sectors.

How will 5G work in Africa?

In Africa, 5G will mostly be initially deployed using existing sites, meaning that operators may need to densify their networks to provide ample capacity in trafic hotspots in the future.

When to launch 5G in Africa?

5G in Africa is a matter of when, not if. The decision on when to launch 5G is often based on a number of factors in the local market that reflect the readiness of operators to roll out 5G networks and readiness of customers (consumers and enterprises) to adopt 5G services and 5G-enabled solutions.

How many 5G connections will Africa have by 2030?

By 2030, there will be more than 5.3 billion 5G connections, representing over half of total mobile connections globally. At least 60% of the world’s population will be covered by 5G networks.1 In Africa, the journey to 5G has begun but it is still early stages for network deployment and commercialisation.

What role do national authorities play in Africa's 5G era?

As Africa moves into the 5G era, there is an important role for national authorities to communicate accurate and reliable information. Authorities in many countries, including Australia, France, Germany and the UK, have taken steps to both educate the public as well as caution the spread of 5G misinformation.