There is no doubt that 5G is a transformative technology. Even judging by the power of 4G which many of us have had the privilege of using due to aggressive penetration of enabled handsets, we can tell that anything more powerful than that is going to take the world to the next level. In fact in a recent article, we looked at how 4G is a strong foundation for the development of 5G. In the past we have also looked at how 4G has been helping communities in staying connected especially during the movement restrictions and lockdowns occasioned by COVID-19.
The coming of 5G is now clearly inevitable. Plans and strategies for embracing it and maximizing its use for job creation and improving economies and therefore quality of life are in place in many countries and economic blocks around the world. This is so because 5G is coming with massive opportunities in just about every sector. Stable high speed connectivity will have a positive impact on just about everything we use in every day life. Think about the healthcare sector for example where doctors will be able to collaborate with other doctors from other parts of the world in real time as they sort urgent medical matters. Uninterrupted by low speeds.
Think about how Internet of Things will work seamlessly in these hospitals, in homes, in businesses and in schools. Manufacturing and transport also stand to benefit immensely and so will sectors like tourism, entertainment, gaming, and broadcasting. The possibilities of 5G and it will mean for the Kenyan economy is exciting.
Like experiencing the wildebeest migration in real time without necessarily having to travel to where it is happening. I have a feeling people will even be able to swim with dolphins from the comfort of their living rooms. In short, 5G will open up entirely new business models and in the process make lives easier and economies stronger. After all we’re looking at more connections, faster speeds and more enhanced security.
All these point to the fact that we have to be prepared and other than infrastructure, having manpower that understands the technology is a must. How are we as a country doing in terms of manpower? As a leader in 5G technology, Huawei Kenya has today concluded 6 days of 5G training online for over 240 university students. The students are drawn from 13 universities around the country, with some of them being UoN, JKUAT, Strathmore and Zetech. This is after identifying a clear need to prepare the next crop of personnel who will be able to navigate this technology and steer the country through it. Training the students is part of other efforts that the country is undertaking.
The students who have taken part in this course did not only get to understand 5G from a technology point of view, but also policy, regulation, economy and environment too. In the duration of their learning, they undertook a 2 hour interactive course, 90 minutes of lectures and 30 minutes of Q&A each day with a different group.
The students were trained by Huawei global specialist Ding Yajie who covered topics like 5G architecture, different deployment scenarios, application, and challenges. The course also covered use cases, business models and technology and trends.
Sylvia Jebet Kipkemoi – a 3rd year Bsc. Telecommunications and Engineering student at JKUAT
One other interesting scenario that was painted by Mr. Samuel Kinuthia – Head Center for Professional Certificatiosn at Zetech University is assistance of students with special needs. That is something I’m certainly looking forward to read up on because digitization is pretty much about inclusion and nobody should be left behind.
Read also about the Huawei Job Fair which we wrote about not too long ago.