[kictanet] Something that We Cannot See Is Holding 5G Back in Africa

Wed Jul 15 07:23:19 EAT 2020

I am here for all these. Great content, great discussions.

Thank you Mark Elkins for that use-case on 5G from Pretoria. For an
entrepreneur, and also a heavy internet user, it is surely a no-brainer.

Here is the report of that 5G webinar by KICTANet
https://www.kictanet.or.ke/mdocs-posts/5g-webinar-report/

Presentations of the webinar

   - 5G is in Reach – Huawei Presentation, Adam Lane
   <https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?attachment_id=41655>
   - 5G Realities and Myths, Daniel Obam Presentation
   <https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?attachment_id=41653>
   - 5G Basic Terminologies, Historical Development, John Walubengo
   Presentation. <https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?attachment_id=41654>
   - 5G Regulatory Perspectives, Communications Authority of Kenya
   presentation, Anne Kinyanjui
   <https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?attachment_id=41698>

For us who want to reject 5G masts in our neighborhoods, how many know what
technology is on the current towers? Wimax? 2G? 3G? 4G?

______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwendwa-kivuva

On Thu, 16 Jul 2020 at 13:14, Adam Lane via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> Dear Kathy
>
> I could not disagree with you more about 5G being unsafe. It is 100% safe.
> The radiowaves it uses are in a category defined as non-ionizing. This is
> the same category as regular lightbulbs as well as sunlight. And the power
> of 5G is about 12.5W, which is less than a lightbulb (20-200W).
>
>
>
> 5G signal strength for a consumer has power of 0.1-0.5mW/m2 which is less
> than a normal smartphone (1-10 mW/m2) or a hairdryer (4mW/m2).
>
>
>
> The WHO has said categorically that there is no evidence that
> low-intensity EMF is harmful to human health. There are thousands of items
> listed as category 2B (“there is evidence that falls short of being
> conclusive that exposure may cause cancer in humans"), which includes
> pickled foods, coffee etc.
>
>
>
> The next up, more dangerous class includes alcohol, processed meat amongst
> other things. I am not aware that processed meat carries any health
> warnings….
>
>
>
> You may have been using 3G or 4G for a while, and be shocked to know that
> 5G in 90% of the world uses the exact same frequencies. So you may want to
> go back to a 2G feature phone. The global guidelines on non-ionizing
> radiations are issued by the ICNIRP. They were updated just 3 months ago.
>
>
>
> There is a lot of scientific research that I can share if you like. You
> may also want to listen to the KICTAnet webinar with the CA and NCS
> discussing this.
> https://www.apc.org/en/news/kictanet-5g-myths-realities-opportunities.
> Feel free to watch the recording of the webinar, or if necessary KICTAnet
> could organize another one!
>
>
>
> I very much agree that the public needs this information to be better
> informed that there are zero health risks from 3G, 4G or 5G.
>
> Regards
>
> Adam
>
>
>
> *From:* kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+adam.lane=
> huawei.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf Of *Kathy Mwai via kictanet
> *Sent:* Thursday, July 16, 2020 12:24 PM
> *To:* Adam Lane <adam.lane at huawei.com>
> *Cc:* Kathy Mwai <kathymwai at gmail.com>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Something that We Cannot See Is Holding 5G Back
> in Africa
>
>
>
> Florence,
>
> There definitely needs to be public health awareness about the harmful
> effects of EMF radiation resulting from 5G Antennas.  The World Health
> Organization has classified cell tower type radiation exposures as a
> ‘possible Class 2B carcinogen’. For example, nearly everyone knows not to
> use plastic in the microwave, a much lower emitter of EMFs. Cigarettes and
> alcohol have this kind of awareness created, as so is a bar of chocolate
> that warns you it may contain peanuts, gluten or dairy - we see this kind
> of warning in restaurants as well. The FCC guidelines that direct the set
> up of today's technologies were established in 1996. Obviously way behind
> time! 5G is not safe - plain and simple. They are man-made EMFs which are
> totally polarized and incoherent and are more bio-active than natural EMFs
> which explains the biological effects of EMF. The public needs to be
> protected from its harmful effects.
>
>
>
> And to your point Samuel, I'm actually rather surprised at the response of
> China upon being kicked out of the UK networks - must indicate very high
> stakes involved. Worth a keen eye going forward...
>
>
>
> Kathy
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, 16 Jul 2020 at 09:25, florence mwangangi <fmwangangi1 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> I cannot agree more with you Kathy. The Judiciary once abandoned the idea
> of taking up some premises in Nairobi for use by the Court of Appeal
> principally for fear of negative effects on the health of the users of the
> premises from  suspected radiation from nearby telecommunications
> infrastructure.
>
> How now does the public get to be educated on all matters-5G including the
> "rumoured" radiation, it being their constitutional right to access the
> information?
>
>
>
> On Wed, 15 Jul 2020, 16:41 Kathy Mwai via kictanet, <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
> You do make a case for 5G in Africa, and Kenya specifically. It was only
> yesterday however that Britain decided to strip Huawei out of its 5G
> network implementation. While I am not indicating this is the trend that
> Kenya should follow, the point I want to make is that I do not think we are
> going to accept 5G infrastructure in our residential areas particularly
> without questioning it.
>
>
>
> Yes, they may just be conspiracy theories about the radiation dangers of
> 5G, but if I could use my neighbourhood as an example, the residents here
> have decided to contend with poor network connection than have the
> telecommunications company install a mast.
>
>
>
> It is not an easy decision because the emerging technologies do require 5G
> strength to work optimally. I wonder if there are groups working to educate
> people on how to mitigate the radiation effects of 5G. There are some I
> know online and it would help everyone to get themselves educated on it so
> that when the inevitable time of 5G rollout comes, then you can protect
> yourself - to an extent!
>
>
>
> Kathy
>
>
>
> On Wed, 15 Jul 2020 at 15:47, Adam Lane via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>
> https://blog.huawei.com/2020/07/14/something-that-we-cannot-see-is-holding-5g-back-in-africa/
>
>
>
> Something that We Cannot See Is Holding 5G Back in Africa
>
>
>
>
>
> There is an intangible resource that most people do not know exists and
> cannot be seen or touched. That resource is holding Africa back from
> rolling out high-speed 5G mobile services. If we don’t solve managing this
> resource better, then we won’t get 5G in Africa and we’ll be left behind.
>
>
>
> Spectrum is of critical importance in Africa. Not necessarily because
> Africans need high-speed mobile phone services, nor because they are likely
> to have tens of thousands packed into stadiums or highly dense areas
> (especially this year). And it’s not because self-driving cars will be
> populating the continent’s roads any time soon.
>
>
>
> It is of critical importance because so few homes and businesses have
> fiber in Africa.
>
>
>
> However, through Fixed Wireless Access (FWA/WTTx) solutions, 5G can
> provide fiber-like services without requiring the expense or time needed to
> install fiber. Upgrading existing base stations and deploying a CPE
> (Customer Premises Equipment) like a mobile router or dongle inside or
> outside an office or home instantly yields the fiber-like speeds that are
> critical for e-commerce and online learning. And now more than ever, it is
> clear how important both are.
>
>
>
> Spectrum 101
>
>
>
> Most people may think of spectrum as a range of colors in a rainbow, or a
> range on which political opinions belong.
>
>
>
> But it also refers to the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic
> radiation. Even though these are generally invisible to the human eye,
> spectrum matters for communications, whether it is radio, Wi-Fi, mobile
> phones, or satellite broadcasts — all use electromagnetic waves to travel
> and reach a user.
>
>
>
> The Role of Governments
>
>
>
> The use of these intangible wavelengths are regulated by governments to
> prevent multiple users using the same frequencies of spectrum, as this
> would cause interference and nothing would reach the user. At a global
> level, the UN oversees a process for all countries to agree on the kind of
> users for different frequencies (such as for Wi-Fi, mobile phones, or
> meteorological use). At the national level, the government decides which
> specific organisations or companies can use that spectrum.
>
>
>
> National governments often charge a fee to commercial companies for using
> this — one purpose is to recoup the costs for managing, monitoring, and
> enforcing the regulation of spectrum. Another is to generate revenue for
> the government. And a third (and arguably the most important) is to weed
> out those who may not be serious about using the spectrum. In other words,
> they want companies that have the resources to invest in the infrastructure
> to use it. So the thinking goes that if serious players can afford the
> spectrum, they can also afford to pay for the infrastructure.
>
>
>
> Regulators want to support existing actors with solid track records to
> deliver infrastructure, but they don’t want to restrict new entrants to the
> market or innovation. So, they face striking a balance — to allow new
> companies to come in even if they do not have much in the way of resources
> yet, but are serious and could still make good use of the infrastructure in
> the future. There is also pressure from the treasury to generate as much
> money as possible. This may come from the richest companies, but could in
> turn affect these companies’ finances, so they cannot subsequently invest
> in building networks.
>
>
>
> For high-speeds, it is necessary to have large amounts of spectrum in a
> big block. But right now, few companies in Africa have that, which means no
> company can provide it. Lots of companies each have small amounts of
> spectrum, so none can provide a high-speed network to lots of people. It is
> critical that this changes — and urgently. Companies, whether big or small,
> existing or new, must be given access to that spectrum. And there must be
> enough to go around, providing it is only given to companies that are
> really serious about using it and are seriously able to make the necessary
> investments.
>
>
>
> During COVID-19, South Africa has temporarily made spectrum available to
> its operators. This has resulted in two new operators launching 5G (one
> launched last year with the spectrum it already had). With the
> affordability of Internet data creating such a critical challenge in
> Africa, the prices local operators are charging for 5G are telling:
>
>
>
>    - Comparing 5G with 4G, one operator will give you 10 times more data
> for only 4 times the price, or 40 times more data for only 6 times the
> price.
>
>     -.Another provides unlimited data and charges by speed instead, just
> like a traditional fiber service, even though they are using mobile.
>
>
>
> Countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya have strong technology sectors,
> innovative local companies, a significant presence from international
> companies, and a strong focus on creating jobs involving technology. They
> need to move faster with 5G to ensure future development.
>
>
>
> Future businesses in the technology industry and the profits, social
> impact, and jobs that come with that, rely on having high-speed Internet
> for consumers through FWA. Millions of Africans could use that connectivity
> to get trained online, get jobs online, earn money online, and create tech
> businesses. And now is the time to make that happen.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> M: +254-790985886
> Deputy CEO, Government Affairs
> Huawei Kenya
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
>
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> --
>
> *Dream and Your Dreams Will Fall Short <kathymwai at gmail.com>...*
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
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