The rollout of 5G mobile internet promises to be one of the most important technological advances of the 2020s.
5G networks are able to transfer very large volumes of data much more quickly than previous generations of mobile internet. This is good news for people who want to watch videos or play games on mobile devices. More importantly, 5G will be an enabler for autonomous vehicles and other futuristic technologies that depend on connected networks.
Globally, the 5G rollout is already well underway. Mobile network operators began to offer 5G connections in the United States and South Korea in 2019. According to telecom equipment maker Ericsson, global 5G subscriptions are set to reach 1.5bn by the end of 2023. Africa, however, is falling behind.
So far, 5G is available in only around a dozen countries on the continent. Many more telecom operators are planning to offer 5G coverage, typically in urban areas, but this does not automatically mean that users can access 5G – indeed, only a tiny fraction of mobile devices in Africa are currently 5G-enabled. Mobile industry association GSMA predicts that even in 2025, 5G will account for just 4% of mobile connections in Africa.
