This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
5G Webinar Debunks Myths and Explores Opportunities ¶
On May 4, 2020, The Kenya ICT Action Network, in partnership with Huawei, hosted a 90-minute interactive webinar on 5G, titled '5G Myths, Realities, and Opportunities.' The event aimed to debunk dangerous conspiracy theories circulating on social media and provide insight into the fifth-generation wireless technology's impact and opportunities for Kenya.
Ali Hussein, CEO of Kipochi, moderated the expert panel, which emphasized that the perception of 5G being linked to COVID-19 is false and baseless. The panel outlined the multiple digital opportunities offered by the new technology, particularly in the healthcare sector, and explained 5G's basic terminologies, innovation, and industry standards.
Dr. Bello Moussa, Huawei's Senior Director of Innovation and ICT Strategies, emphasized the tremendous opportunities for 5G to connect homes and businesses with fiber-like speeds, in various uses within hospitals, particularly during COVID-19, when human contact is not desired. He also gave examples in the tourism industry, where hotels can use 5G to ensure every room has high-speed Wi-Fi without needing cables.
Ann Kinyanjui, Acting Manager for Frequency Planning at the Communications Authority of Kenya, gave an overview of the regulatory perspectives on 5G, noting that the CA is looking at different licensing methodologies, the amount of bandwidth to be offered to operators, and frequency spectrum allocations.
As Kenya fights the global COVID-19 pandemic, embracing change is crucial for survival and prosperity. The country is moving towards e-learning, online shopping, and business through videoconferencing, as demonstrated by this webinar. 5G wireless technology will result in a massive increase in data speeds, lower latencies, and the capacity to carry large numbers of connections simultaneously, changing how people interact with the internet and inspiring innovation and new services.
The webinar recording can be viewed on YouTube at.
