Giraffe GPS satellite tracking project in Africa VVVolVolVolVol o6 o6 66l l. .No. NoNo. No79 N N 55 oo5.. 3 March 2018 2021 AFRICA SPECIAL EDITION The space industry in Nigeria 2021 2021 Africa leaps into A new leader and player i5Gn the ecosystemaerospace industry C O N T E N T S Vol.9 No. 3 The era of 5G network in Africa Giraffe GPS satellite tracking project in Africa Editor in-chief Aliyu Bello Expanding the boundaries of space insurance Executive Manager Tonia Gerrald Satellite based solutions fighting COVID-19 SA to the editor in-Chief Ngozi Okey Space against youth unemployment Head, Application Services M. Yakubu CONAE's leading women share experiences Editorial/ICT Services John Daniel working in the space industry Usman Bello Still on healthcare networks Alozie Nwankwo Singapore initiative makes progress in encouraging more young women Juliet Nnamdi to learn about engineering Client Relations Sunday Tache Industry players brace up as NCC Lookman Bello opens up Virtual Network market Safiya Thani Why digital inclusion matters Marketing Offy Pat Aiming for the stars with Europe's Tunde Nathaniel Ariane 6 launch vehicles Wasiu Olatunde 2021: Africa leaps into 5G ecosystem Media Relations Favour Madu Big data in the shipping industry Khadijat Yakubu What to do when GPS is compromised Zacheous Felicia The story of Chinese lunar mission Finance Folarin Tunde Defence industry 'must rise to the challenge' in 2021 The future progression of Space Watch Magazine is a publication of in-flight Wi-Fi market Communication Science, Inc. 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Cover source Wipro Infotech 1 EDITORIAL The era of 5G network in Africa 5G, or fifth Generation, is the latest wireless whole communications environment - terrestrial mobile systems move into the mobile phone technology, first widely deployed instead of thinking that competition comes millimetre wave bands above 6 GHz, where two years ago is on the upswing. From Angola, to from the four main operators (in the case of satellite systems have been operating for many South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, 5G UK), we should take a broader look. The years, consideration needs to be given to the technology has become the buzz word of IT competition comes from a mix of WiFi and co-existence needs of both sectors. A rapid revolution.5G will enable faster communications multiple operators providing connectivity to deployment of 5G is best served by focusing and network management in a more versatile the home, the business, the public space the spectrum needs of terrestrial 5G networks way, especially in terms of mobility and the ability and so on - all providing an ecosystem that to bands other than those used by satellite to connect numerous devices at the same time. needs to work nicely together.“ So, he says, already. This approach will also ensure that In Agriculture, 5G networks, with their low latency indoor high speed data coverage will both technologies can work together, each characteristics, much higher data transmission increasingly be WiFi and self-provided (at enabling part of the value chain to ensure speeds, robustness, greater sustainability and home or at work) or amenity based, with reliability, reach and quality of service. low energy consumption, will play a decisive role cellular picking up where the WiFi signal in the transformation of the agricultural sector. drops off. That seems unlikely to change - so Although the US has the most robust and looking at just one part (the cellular part) in extensive VSAT sites, hosting over 50 per cent Also, the implementation of 5G networks will isolation is going to lead to bad results. One of the global VSAT sites, as such, Africa does allow innovative solutions that facilitate the other important mission for 5G might be the not in our view share similar spectrum crisis as production, transmission, distribution and use of delivery of IoT nationwide alongside the the United States of America. Besides, the energy, enhancing technological progress in delivery of the “consistent connectivity”. recent clearance of the 280MHz portion of the numerous areas.5G will facilitate the day-to-day That, he judges, would be appreciated by C-band in the USA for 5G, or a similar process activities of companies, enabling smart almost all mobile phone and Internet users. in South Korea in the 28GHz band in 2018 have production, through collaboration, quality, raised the question of compatibility between efficiency and flexibility. 5G requires a Mix of Technologies to deliver individual national approaches and global In the media industry, 5G will significantly consumer needs. Therefore, growth of one harmonisation of spectrum allocations. transform the audiovisual and entertainment sector especially terrestrial 5G/IMT network industry, thanks to its leverage of applications in cannot be at the expense of another, Satellite operators need to be resolute in the area of ?virtual reality, augmented reality, particularly satellite. fighting off the continue pressure by MNOs in online games, video and music, while also spectrum affairs that has no end in sight yet. contributing decisively to boost the advertising According to one industry report, a stable, While the recent ITU's World Radio market digital. However, 5G promised to facilitate resilient, inclusive 5G ecosystem requires Conference (WRC) in 2019 greatly expanded the use of “drones” to distribute postal items, in the adoption of policies that ensure available frequencies for mobile particular parcels, which may be particularly competition among platforms. Policies that networks in the 17.25 GHz compared to 1.9 relevant in the case of urgent deliveries in rural focus solely on the fibre core of 5G GHz available before, other satellite areas. It can also facilitate the tracking of postal networks, or that equate 5G access solely frequencies such as the Ku-band in 10.7 - 11.7 objects and contribute to the optimization of with terrestrial wireless technologies, will fall GHz are now being considered for repurposing storage and distribution operations.In the health short of making 5G successful across the to mobile networks as well. sector, 5G promises to play an important role in globe. Accordingly, it is critical that the health sector in facilitating remote policymakers take the time and effort to The big question now is, should spectrum procedures and also in the development of new understand how different technologies can allocations be decided upon on pure economic diagnostic and treatment technologies. and should interwork – trying to integrate an grounds alone? If so, then a further decrease of essential component like satellite later, as the SATCOM business might lead to an Again, 5G will surely represent a turning point in an add-on, will be inefficient and additional repurposing of spectrum rights from the evolution of smart cities, due to the effective burdensome and will impose unnecessary satellite services to terrestrial wireless use of the opportunities offered by very high additional cost to providers and users alike. operations. This raises concerns regarding the speed connectivity, low latency, longer To this end, policy makers must avoid long-term perspective for satellite equipment battery life and capacity to handle a making assumptions or interventions that communications if deprived from strategic massive volume of communications. lead to the creation of blanket 5G asset of spectrum, according to a recent EU requirements for features such as high industry paper. The question then is, has the 5G mission been speed or low latency that will only result in an blown so wildly off-course? Much of the problem, underperforming or over-engineered 5G Satellite network will complement as well as William says, is that the vision of what's required network that serves few use cases and the compete with other technologies in meeting the for next generation cellular seems to have lost resulting few people. Fostering and needs of users worldwide. The satellite “sweet touch with the reality of usage patterns and user incentivising the emergence of common spots” of trunking, back-haul, mobility, and behaviour. “The fact is that in the UK and in other standards from the start to enable an hybrid multiplay will be used to complement countries, we've gradually been making more integrated and interworking eco-system of other high-bandwidth connectivity links, such use of WiFi. My guess is that about 95 per cent of network technologies so that interfaces can as broadband fibre optic, xDSL, Wi-Fi, WiGi all our traffic is now WiFi and most people have a seamlessly communicate with different a n d e v e n L i - F i o p t i c a l w i r e l e s s 'WiFi first' (use cellular only when WiFi isn't technology solutions (e.g. both GEO,LEO communications. Only by this ecosystem of available) behaviour pattern. “The regulators, and MEO satellite systems), will further technologies, including satellites in their however, spend most of their time on thinking promote the 5G vision. multiple orbits and frequency ranges, can 5G about cellular - but in the consumer market, that's achieve its vision of bringing next generation not where the action is.” Again, spectrum is an issue for all wireless connectivity to all users across the globe.