News
Africa not yet big players on 5G coverage
By Sonny Aragba-Akpore
Despite spirited efforts by African countries to join the global community in the adoption of fifth generation (5G) technology,and the race for better internet services,less than six percent of the sub Saharan population has access to the technology.
While many countries are already providing robust services,Africa remains on the outskirts of 5G services.
The countries in Africa that have launched 5G networks, include South Africa with its roll out
In March 2022, when the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) sold spectrum across several bands.
In Nigeria,MTN rolled out commercial 5G services in Lagos in 2022, with other roll out in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri among others.
MTN Congo announced that it was the first country in Central Africa to deploy 5G.
In Botswana Orange deployed 5G technology to provide new services in the Gaborone and Francistown regions.
Other countries in Africa that have launched 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services include: Angola, Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Analysts say “5G’s potential is growing due to its ability to deliver fiber-like speeds. However, there are still challenges in the region, such as:
Urban areas are reaching their maximum capacity whereas a large portion of the population lives in rural areas.
This explains why 5G adoption in the sub-Saharan region is currently below six percent “
Analysts report that 5G deployment in Africa faces many challenges, including Spectrum assignment,regulatory issues,infrastructure,security,financial resources among others.
“Spectrum is a limited resource that is already in use by other services, such as TV broadcasters and satellite operators. Governments need to open up frequencies and grant 5G licenses at reasonable prices. “
Infrastructure is another major challenge.
“5G networks require a large initial investment, including expensive devices, antennas, and Radio Access Network (RAN) hardware. The infrastructure needs to be fiberized to support 5G services.
Regulatory conditions also serve as challenges to deployment.
For instance “regulatory authorities may not have started the process for licensing and granting frequencies in the right portion “
“Most of the equipment and devices required for 5G deployment need to be imported.”
There are also security challenges that make
5G technology vulnerable to cyber security threats, such as tracking calls and exposing user locations.
Adoption of 5G deployment may take longer than expected across the continent and may take even longer in some countries as a result of Socioeconomic considerations especially in terms of 5G pricing structures that need to be compatible with the economies of African countries.
Urban/rural drift is listed as a major challenge more so since
Urban areas may have reached maximum capacity due to site density and available spectrum.
Analysts list Some strategies to address these challenges as “adapting legacy systems, Collaborating to enhance infrastructure, Future-proofing networks, Reusing existing spectrum assets, and Releasing low-band frequencies alongside mid-band frequencies. “
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), says 5G coverage reached 40% of the world’s population in 2023 with an uneven coverage and distribution with developed countries having more coverage than low-income countries:
In Europe ,68% of the population is covered
Americas had 59% of the population covered while
Asia-Pacific has 42% of the population covered as at 2023.
Arab States have 12% of the population covered.
Commonwealth Independent of States (CIS) have 8% of the population covered.
ITU figures show Africa,s coverage rose to 6% of the population by 2023 .
The ITU also notes that 90% of the world’s population is covered by 4G, but 55% of people without access to 4G live in low-income countries. In low-income countries, 3G is often the only technology available to connect to the Internet.
The ITU develops and adopts international regulations and global standards to enable the harmonization and implementation of broadband mobile networks.
The world’s first commercial 5G services launched in 2019 in South Korea, with the US, UK, Germany, and China quickly following. In most of the world, 5G is now blossoming.
The US now reports 5,000 cities covered, and China says it has over 250 million 5G subscriptions, served by two million 5G base stations.
Network provider Ericsson says there will be one billion connections worldwide by the end of this year, beating 4G’s rollout by two years
With Ericsson predicting five billion 5G subscribers by 2028, the equivalent of 60 percent of the world’s population, it is possible to think that the whole world is adopting 5G – but we may be wrong. One entire continent is falling behind in 5G.
In Africa, around a dozen nations have launched services (Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar, Nigeria, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe, and Zambia) but Africa is a patchwork of 54 countries.
And penetration is predicted to be slow. By 2027, Ericsson predicts that 80 percent of phone users in Europe will have 5G service.
At the same time, 5G subscriptions in Africa, home to 1.4 billion people, will hit just 10 percent. Why will so few people in Africa get access to 5G services?
China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States are the leading countries with robust 5G coverage in the world.
Since the first commercial launches of the fifth generation of mobile networks in late 2018, these five countries have emerged as leaders because multiple companies in these countries have deployed networks and are selling compatible devices.
Countries including Switzerland and Finland are up and comers in 5G development, as they have limited deployment.
In China there are three Companies leading in deployment.
The world’s largest 5G network was launched by the three largest Chinese network operators Oct 31, 2019, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua.
These are China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom which all activated their networks in less than five months after they were issued 5G licenses. Each of the network operators offered their 5G services at $18 per month in 50 Chinese cities at the beginning of the launch.
“What we are seeing is a concerted effort by the Chinese — the operators, vendors, and government regulators — to deploy 5G as quickly as possible,” Chris Nicoll, principal analyst at ACG Research, pointed this out in a Nov 1, 2019 SDxCentral article.
With all of these players working together, the three network operators had collectively deployed nearly 86,000 5G base stations peaked over 130,000 by the end of 2019.
The latter number breaks down into China Unicom and China telecom, with each planning to install 40,000 base stations, and the market leader China Mobile to install 50,000.This was the projection by 2019 but they have since overshot this by the beginning of 2024.
The Global System of Mobile Association (GSMA)expects 36% of China’s mobile users to be using 5G by 2025. That’s about 600 million subscribers, who would also make up 40% of the entire global 5G market by that year.
This is all despite efforts made by the United States government to hamper the progress of Chinese vendors, though those efforts may affect how Chinese companies may expand into the global market.
In South Korea,SK Telecom and Korea Telecom run as the main competitors for the South Korean 5G market.
SK Telecom acquired spectrum in the 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz frequencies to prepare for deploying 5G.
In April of 2019, the Enterprise claimed to be the first mobile carrier in the world to launch 5G services to work on 5G smartphones.
SK Telecom asserted an edge over rival Verizon, as the former launched 5G services available at the same time as Samsung Galaxy S10 5G smartphone launched in South Korea. Verizon launched mobile 5G services in the U.S. before a 5G enabled smartphone was available to U.S. consumers.
SK Telecom has also conducted tests with a 5G Standalone (SA) Core (a core not reliant on the 4G network) for their 5G network in cooperation with Samsung Electronics.
In early 2017, KT rolled out a 5G trial network ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. However, the network was used primarily for demonstrations as it was not accessible by attendees’ smartphones.
At the time, the reception was lukewarm. Since then, KT’s network has expanded to cover the country’s most populated areas and the operator claims to have “the world’s first nationwide commercial 5G wireless network.”
Consumers have played a crucial role in turning South Korea into a 5G country. According to research from IHS Markit, South Korean consumers have been purchasing 5G devices so quickly that stores can’t stay in stock. It only took 69 days for South Korea to reach one million subscribers to 5G services after the initial network launch.
The United Kingdom’s four Providers Launched their services throughout 2019.
EE, Vodafone UK, Three UK, and O2 UK launched commercial deployments in the U.K. These operators are using equipment namely from Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei.
O2 UK is an exception in that it’s not using Huawei equipment, despite running 5G radio access network (ran) tests with it.
Three UK announced an unlimited data service that is speed-cap free at no extra cost.
To speed up rollouts of active 5G equipment, Vodafone UK reached a deal with O2 UK to share equipment, which can be seen with radio antennas on joint network sites.
Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure also manages shared facilities for operators.
Vodafone reached similar agreements in Italy and Spain for shared infrastructure.
In Germany,Vodafone and Deutsche Lead 5G Market.
In 2019, Vodafone Germany and Deutsche Telekom Germany launched 5G services in several cities. Vodafone Germany started with 20 cities and municipalities (including Cologne and Dusseldorf), while Deutsche Telekom Germany launched in only six (including Berlin and Munich). Vodafone plans to offer 5G services for $5.61 less per month than Deutsche Telekom.
When the German government auctioned off spectrum bands, a new player, 1&1 Drillisch, came into the picture by bidding $1.2 billion for 70 megahertz of spectrum.
However, the company waited till 2021 to use the new spectrum.
In Sept. 2018 the Federal Communications Commission of the USA announced its 5G FAST Plan in an effort to advance the country’s position among the countries that have deployed 5G networks.
Part of this plan included spectrum auctions. In March 2016, prior to the official start of the 5G FAST plan, the FCC hosted an “incentive auction” that began repurposing spectrum and opening up low-band spectrum for wireless Broadband that can be used for 5G networks. A second auction of the upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands was set for 2019.
Money raised from these auctions was used to bring high-speed Broadband to the rural U.S.
In August 2020, T-Mobile US became the first telecom operator in the world to launch an SA 5G network with a 5G core. This came after a merger with Sprint was completed in April 2020.
This is significant, in that T-Mobile US surpassed AT&T, Verizon, and SK Telecom. AT&T was the expected winner of the race to 5G in the U.S. and SK Telecom was the favorite to have the world’s first SA 5G network.
Both had plans to have a network with SA 5G architecture by early 2020 but did not meet those benchmarks.
AT&T and Verizon are still part of the 5G conversation in the U.S., although it’s debated which of those two was truly first to market.
In December 2018, AT&T was the first U.S. carrier to launch a standards-based mobile 5G network servicing a dozen cities, albeit without any 5G-enabled devices.
In October 2018, Verizon was the first to have a non-standards-based deployment that was actually a fixed Broadband network in four cities.
In March 2019, Verizon turned on its standards-based 5G network in Minneapolis and Chicago, also before mobile 5G devices were available.
Verizon began selling Samsung Galaxy S10 5G on May 16, 2019 and claims it will have 5G in 30 cities by the end of 2019. As of August 2019, AT&T had deployed 5G in 21 cities and claimed the 5G network would be deployed in 30 states by the end of 2019.
The ITU continues to release information on standardizations that could cushion speedy deployment across global communities and markets especially in the race to actualise universal coverage by 2030 to meet and actualise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target.
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has felicitated the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on the occasion of her 66th birthday today, September 21, 2026.
Akpabio in a statement which he personally signed, described the First Lady as “a remarkable woman,” saying: “Your Excellency, your life reflects faith, service, sacrifice and quiet strength. From the classroom to public office, the Senate and the position of First Lady, you have demonstrated that leadership is measured by its impact on people’s lives.
“Through your compassion for the vulnerable, advocacy for women and children, and the interventions of the Renewed Hope Initiative, you continue to advance the hope of a better Nigeria.”
The Senate President also celebrated the First Lady as “a devoted wife, mother and grandmother whose grace and strength have supported His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and inspired many.”
Akpabio, on behalf of the Senate, the National Assembly and his family, wished the First Lady “abundant health, enduring happiness, divine favour and many more years of purposeful service.”
He concluded by saying: “Happy 66th Birthday, Your Excellency.
“May God continue to strengthen and preserve you, making your life an even greater blessing to your family, our nation and humanity.”
Nigerians can now obtain affidavits from the Federal High Court without travelling to any court premises, thanks to the court’s Electronic Court Management System (ECMS) e-Affidavit Portal.
The fully digital platform allows applicants to register, complete forms, upload documents, make payment and download a verified affidavit from anywhere with an internet connection.
The portal was set up to deliver a secure and efficient process for affidavit applications and related court services. It operates under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
The process, obtained from the Federal High Court’s e-Affidavit Portal on Sunday, shows that applicants can access a range of affidavits covering name changes, correction of dates of birth, loss of documents, change of signature, next of kin, marriage, banking and other purposes.
The portal also provides applicants with a means of tracking their applications and downloading completed affidavits after payment and approval.
Here is how to apply:
1. Create an account
Applicants are required to register on the Federal High Court’s Electronic Court Management System portal at https://portal.fhc.gov.ng/.
During registration, users are asked to provide their full name, phone number, date of birth, email address and a password.
The name entered should be the name that the applicant wants to appear on the affidavit.
After registration, the applicant should log in to the portal and select the affidavit module.
2. Complete your profile
Before starting a new affidavit application, applicants are required to complete their affidavit profile.
The portal requests information including the applicant’s native town, residential address, occupation, NIN, country of origin, state of origin, gender, religion and date of birth.
Applicants are also required to upload a passport photograph and an identity card.
The Federal High Court advises applicants to ensure that all information supplied is accurate before saving the profile.
3. Choose the type of affidavit
After completing the profile, applicants can access the list of available affidavit services.
The portal offers several categories, including:
Name change: Affidavit of Change of Name, Correction of Name and Harmonisation of Name(s)
Date of birth: Statutory Declaration of Age, Declaration of Age for a Minor and Correction of Date of Birth.
Loss and incidents: Loss of Items, Burglary, Theft, Robbery, Damage, Missing Person and other related affidavits.
Identity and personal matters: Good Conduct, Next of Kin, Guardianship, Verification of Address and State of Origin.
Marriage: Bachelorhood, Marriage Declaration, Spinsterhood and Non-impediment.
Banking: Change of Bank Phone Number, Non-Indebtedness and Single Account Ownership.
General purpose: Authorisation, Transfer of Ownership, Claim of Ownership, Sponsorship, Affidavit of Means and others.
Institutional affidavits: Good Conduct and Non-Membership of Secret Cult/Terrorist/Militant Group, Hostel Accommodation and other applications.
There are also options for affidavits relating to academic documents, political office candidacy and other institutional purposes.
4. Fill out the application
After selecting an affidavit, the applicant is taken to the relevant application form.
Depending on the affidavit selected, the form may require the applicant to provide personal details, the purpose of the affidavit and information specific to the application.
For example, an application for correction of date of birth requires the applicant to state the reason for the correction, the wrong date of birth and the correct date of birth.
Applicants are also required to provide their email address and phone number and select a preferred Federal High Court.
The available court options include Federal High Court divisions in different states and Abuja.
5. Upload the required documents
The portal requires applicants to provide a recent passport photograph, a valid means of identification and a signature, which can be uploaded or drawn.
Accepted identification documents include a National Identification Number, international passport, driver’s licence or voter’s card.
The portal states that uploaded passport photographs, identification cards and signatures must meet its specifications, with each file limited to 300KB in the application form reviewed.
6. Preview the application
After entering the required information, applicants should click the preview option to review their application.
The preview displays the information supplied, including the applicant’s name, identification details, affidavit information, contact details and selected court.
Applicants should carefully check the information at this stage before submitting the application because the portal states that payments are final, non-refundable and non-transferable.
7. Agree to the terms and submit
After checking the information, the applicant must agree to the portal’s terms and conditions and consent to the processing of personal data in accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
The application can then be submitted.
8. Pay the required fee
The portal then directs applicants to make payment electronically.
The payment options include Paystack and Remita.
The application reviewed for this report displayed a fee of N1,797 for the selected affidavit.
Applicants should, however, confirm the amount displayed for their particular application before making payment, as fees may vary by service or change over time.
The portal warns that payments are final, non-refundable and non-transferable.
9. Download the affidavit
After payment and processing, the completed affidavit can be downloaded through the portal, while a copy is also sent to the applicant’s email address.
The Federal High Court says affidavits issued through the portal are protected with unique barcodes and reference numbers that can be used for verification.
Applicants are warned that falsifying, altering or misusing an affidavit constitutes a criminal offence and may attract legal consequences.
Important things applicants should know
The portal says applicants whose applications are queried for additional information or documents must respond within 72 hours.
Failure to make the required payment or respond to a query within the stipulated period can result in automatic deletion of the application without a refund or further notice, after which the applicant would have to start a new application and make a fresh payment.
The portal also says applicants’ personal information, including NIN, passport photographs, signatures and contact details, is collected for affidavit applications, verification and other lawful purposes.
The Federal High Court’s e-Affidavit Portal is available through its Electronic Court Management System. Federal High Court e-Affidavit Portal.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has called on the Attorney-General of Niger State, Nasiru Mu’azu, to ensure the speedy investigation and prosecution of all persons found culpable in the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna.
Falana, in a statement on Saturday, said the Attorney-General should direct the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and prosecute any NSCDC personnel or other individuals indicted by the investigation.
The call came amid a Federal Government investigation into the deaths, which occurred on Thursday, September 17, after scores of people arrested during raids on suspected illegal mining sites were detained at an NSCDC facility in Minna.
The government has since constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident and suspended officers linked to it pending the outcome of the probe.
The Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, also confirmed the death of 37 detainees and said forensic and medical examinations, including autopsies, were being conducted to establish the cause of the deaths.
The incident has generated protests in Minna, with reports indicating that some of the detainees were teenagers. Accounts from survivors and relatives have raised concerns about overcrowding and poor ventilation in the detention facility, although authorities have yet to establish a definitive cause of death.
Falana said, “The Attorney-General of Niger State, Nasiru Mu’azu Esq. should ensure a speedy investigation by the State Police Command and immediate prosecution of all indicted suspects by the State Ministry of Justice.”
According to him, the NSCDC had confirmed that more than 50 people were arrested over alleged illegal mining, with profiling and documentation still ongoing.
He described the deaths as a reminder of longstanding concerns over the treatment of suspects in detention facilities across the country, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the Niger incident should not be treated as an isolated occurrence.
Falana recalled the 1980 incident in which about 50 criminal suspects reportedly died after being locked inside a police transport van, popularly known as a “Black Maria,” at the premises of the Tinubu Magistrate Court in Lagos.
He argued that despite such incidents, overcrowding and poor conditions in detention facilities had continued to expose suspects to serious risks.
“The best way to honour the 37 suspects that were suffocated to death last week is to ensure that detention centres in the country meet the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules,” he said.
The United Nations’ Mandela Rules set minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners, including requirements relating to accommodation, sanitation, ventilation, healthcare and the humane treatment of people deprived of their liberty.
Falana also linked the Niger incident to a broader concern about the manner in which suspects, particularly people arrested for minor or alleged offences, are detained before trial.
He urged the authorities to ensure that the investigation into the deaths establishes individual responsibility rather than ending with administrative sanctions.
The Federal Government has said the investigation into the Niger deaths would be comprehensive, transparent and unhindered, while the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the government owed the families of the deceased and Nigerians an explanation of what happened.
Falana also called on the Attorney-General of Ondo State, Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, to prosecute persons allegedly responsible for the mass poisoning that has killed 48 people in the state.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said 182 cases had been recorded as of September 17 following the reported consumption of locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in parts of Ondo State.
NAFDAC said five victims had become totally blind while two others suffered partial blindness. Preliminary laboratory analysis also detected high concentrations of methanol in samples of the suspected beverages.
The affected communities include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, with Odigbo Town and Araromi-Obu recording the highest number of cases. The agency said cases had also been reported in Irele Local Government Area.
NAFDAC said 15 people had been arrested in connection with the production, sale and distribution of the suspected toxic drinks, while investigations and surveillance were continuing.
Falana urged Ajulo to take over the case with a view to ensuring the prosecution of suspects found responsible for the deaths.
The lawyer said the two incidents in Niger and Ondo underscored the need for the relevant authorities to pursue accountability where investigations establish criminal responsibility, rather than allowing cases involving multiple deaths to end without prosecution.
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