In telecommunications, 5G is the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying world wide in the year 2019,and is the planned successor to the 4G network .
It was on 25 of January 2022 that the Nigerian President lunched 5G Network policy in other to tackle some insecurity challenges in the state House.
I can recalled vividly in the year 2020 there was a of lot of flaks flitting around about the danger of the 5G Network and now the Minister of communication and digital economy prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim made it clear that the 5G Network has tons of advantages in Nigeria.
The president inaugurated the national policy on 5G for Nigerian’s digital economy in other to enhance the country security if deployed. And the federal government would take full advantage of the opportunities that the 5G provides for the economy, security and well-being of the country.
According to the federal government the 5G Network will help security personnel in the country to tackle some insecurity challenges bedevilling this country and to the well-being of the nation at general.
Furthermore, the 5G Network is being lunched in some advanced Countries while is still awaiting in Nigeria and the benefits of the 5G Network listed will be used positively which will bring an end to some challenges of insecurity this country is facing.
The communication and digital economy minster professor Isa Ali Ibrahim allayed fears over the health safety of 5G Network, affirming that such issues had been “effectively addressed “ while developing a fitting policy for Nigeria.
The 5G Network will enable our security personnel to effectively detect any act of criminality in the country and bring an end to using the of a 4G network in the country.
It would be recalled that there were chronological of networks that exists earlier on such as 1G,2G,3G,4G and now the adven of a 5G network are a greater speed in the transmissions, a lower latency and therefore greater capacity of remote execution, a greater number of connected devices and the possibility of implementing virtual networks (network slicing), providing more adjusted connectivity to concrete needs.
Greater speed in transmissions
Speed in transmissions can approach 15 or 20 Gbps. By being able to enjoy a higher speed we can access files, programs and remote applications in a totally direct and without waiting. By intensifying the use of the cloud, all devices (mobile phones, computers, etc.) will depend less on the internal memory and on the accumulation of data and it won’t be necessary to install a large number of processors on some objects because computing can be done on the Cloud.
For example, being able to activate software remotely as if it were executed in personal devices, will allow not having installed the mobile applications (APPs) in the terminal and executing them directly from the cloud. Just as it will no longer be necessary to store the information in the memory of the device (photos, videos, etc).
Lower latency
Latency is the time that elapses since we give an order on our device until the action occurs. In 5G the latency will be ten times less than in 4G, being able to perform remote actions in real time.
Thanks to this low latency and the increase of the sensors, it is possible to control the machinery of an industrial plant, control logistics or remote transport, surgical operations in which the doctor can intervene a patient who is at another side of the world with the help of precision instrumentation managed remotely or the complete control of remote transport systems, automated and without driver.
Greater number of connected devices
With 5G the number of devices that can be connected to the network increases greatly, it will go to millionaire scale per square kilometer.
All connected devices will have access to instant connections to the internet, which in real time will exchange information with each other. This will favor the IoT.
It is anticipated that a common home will have a hundred connected devices sending and receiving information in real time. If we think of industrial plants we would speak of thousands of connected devices.
This greater number of connected devices will allow the smart cities and the autonomous car.
For example, by placing sensors in different points and objects in the city, a large part of it can be monitored. If you share the information of the sensors of the cars and those of the city, and these exchange data you can improve the quality of life of the cities, facilitate the navigation of the autonomous car (choose better routes, reduce the number of accidents, find available parking spaces, etc.)
Network slicing
The 5G also allows to implement virtual networks (network slicing), create subnets, in order to provide connectivity more adjusted to specific needs.
The creation of subnetworks will give specific characteristics to a part of the network, being a programmable network and will allow to prioritize connections, as could be the emergencies in front of other users, applying for example different latencies or prioritizing them in the connection to the network so that they can’t be affected by possible overloads of the mobile network.
Now that Nigeria has launched into the 5G network, which if properly put into use would definitely go a long away in solving security challenges that we are facing in this country, securities forces can now do their work using technologically gaskets to speak to bandits in a better language that the bandits will understand.
Muhammad Umar Shehu and Dangana Henry Joseph
Department of Mass Communication,
Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi,
Bauchi state.
Umar and Dangana can be reached via Umarshehu887@gmail.com 08035794769Josephdangana2021@gmail.com 08038243968
