2019

What IS 5G? 5G is primarily a software-defined network. This means that while it won’t replace the use cables entirely, it could replace the need for them, by largely operating on a cloud instead. This will allow it to have 100 times the capacity of 4G, dramatically improving internet speeds. For example, to download a 2-hour film on 3G takes about 26 hours. With 4G technology it should takes about 6 minutes. With 5G the movie would be downloaded in about 3.6 seconds. If you lived through the period of LimeWire with all of the hustle and joy that accompanied downloading a 3MB song in 60 minutes, this is even more futuristic that you’d have envisioned. Response Times will be Much Faster. But it’s not just internet capacity that will be upgraded with the introduction of 5G. Response times will also be much faster. The 4G network responds to our commands in about 45 milliseconds (0.045sec). With 5G, it would take around 1 millisecond (0.001sec). That is 400 times faster than the blink of the eye. Smartphone users will enjoy a more streamlined experience. For a world that is increasingly dependent on the internet just to function, a reduction in time delay is critical. Almost everything is about the internet now. At first, the internet was confined to computers. Then the use of mobile phones became synonymous with using the internet. Now we have TV’s, fridges, even watches that have internet functionality. 5G will make Progressive Innovation functional. Self-driving cars, for instance, is a very tangible example of an innovation that clearly demonstrates why and how imperative the role of 5G is in innovation and global advancement in many fields. This is because some new technologies can only be properly introduced to the mainstream public when paired with 5G technology. Self-driving cars require a continuous stream of data. The quicker that information is delivered to vehicles that have no human being driving it, the better and safer they can run. Without that dependability of quick and smooth data flow, the car as a machine without timely instructions through data transfer will malfunction in many ways. It wouldn’t be much of a self-driving car. The above example is one instance of how 5G could become the connective tissue for the internet of things. Technological advancement will largely depend on the reliability that 5G will bring. 5G technology will spark an industry that will grow 3 folds by 2025, linking and controlling not just robots, but medical devices, industrial equipment, and agricultural machinery. 5G will provide Personalised Web Experience. 5G will also provide a much more personalised web experience using a technique called network slicing. Network slicing is a way of creating separate wireless networks on the cloud, allowing users to create their own bespoke network. You will be able to customise your own bandwidth requirements amongst others stuff too. Because, for example, an online gamer would need faster response times and greater data capacity than a user that just wants to check their social media. Personalising the internet will also benefit businesses. At big corporate events, like the ones that happen at Movenpick and Kempinski all the time, there is always a massive influx of people that congregate in one area using data-heavy applications. But with 5G, organisers could pay for an increased slice of that network, boosting the internet capacity, and thus improving the attendees’ overall online experience. This goes for government functions too. Think of the Independence Day celebrations and how much data is consumed at such events. Think of how many people look down on their phones at the concert shows of Shatta Wale and Sarkodie to upload concert snippets to social media. Think of the streaming of church services. Basically, wherever there’s huge gathering, massive data is consumed. With 4G, consumption is at the same rate as it would be anywhere else. With 5G, organisers could pay network providers for a bigger slice of bandwidth so that while you are attending the program, you will consume data and use the internet at a much faster rate. So, when can we start using 5G? Well, in Ghana, not yet. I’ve read some rumours but nothing conclusive. South Korea and the United States have already started the service. In the US, as the first half of the year came to a close, every major cellular network was officially offering 5G services to its subscribers. But the 5G coverage is not across the whole of the United States. Mobile giants like HUAWEI and ZTE have also been getting ready to launch big 5G trials. The fierce brouhaha between the US Government and Huawei concerning a trade ban from Washington that inadvertently hurt the HUAWEI’s 5G ambitions showcase just how pivotal the introduction of 5G is on a national scale. The race to effective rollout has been a hot one. 5G was created years ago. It has been talked up ever since because of all of its amazing applications. Yet it is estimated that even by 2025, the network will lag behind both 4G and 3G in terms of global mobile connections. Why? 5G requires higher costs to set up. 5G’s mainstream existence faces multiple hurdles. The most significant of these, of course, is cost. According to some experts, 5G could cause network operators to tear up their current business models, in order for the introduction of 5G to make business sense. I’m no expert, but 3G and 4G should have been relatively than 5G cheaper to set up. This is because they were able to roll out on existing frequencies on our country’s radio spectrum. However, for 5G to work properly, it would need a frequency with much bigger bandwidth. This would require brand new infrastructure and its accompanying costs. Some analysts believe that the extensive building and running costs will force operators to share the use and management of the 5G mobile network. It is already happening. This has been less of an obstacle for countries like China.

Let’s have one of my conversation pieces, shall we? Let’s just have a chat. You can talk back in your feedback and we will pick it up from there. Quite frankly, I’ve always seen the role of leader of a company as more of a highly sensitive responsibility that comes with high risks and exposure rather than a certified jolly fun-filled appointment. Yes, systems should be and usually are put in place to aid most CEO’s in navigating a company’s business activities. But it all depends on how you see it and how sensitive you are to the inherent roles the company plays in the daily lives of other people. From how I see it, leading a company means taking the baton from the non-humanoid “company” and YOU being in charge of finishing the race. I say “company” because I always count a company as a separate entity in any roll call. For instance, there’ll be a CEO, COO, CFO… et cetera et cetera… and then there’s “the company”, as another entity. The Company as A “Person” This mental adjustment allows me to properly evaluate how robust or imperfect my very young and promising company is. For instance, at work, if I fail to get timely reports from the ever “busy” Japheth (yes Japheth, I’m bringing this up here), then two people need to answer for it: the first one is obviously Japheth, then the second “person” is the company. Why Japheth? Because he’s… Japheth. Who else would I ask first on why Mr I’m-Always-Looking-For-Trucks repeatedly sends me late reports. He is accountable for his actions, or inactions. Do you know who else is accountable: THE COMPANY. It is the company’s JOB to create systems and processes that allow for the easy flow of work while mitigating the risks of inefficiencies popping up every now and then. So I have to look at the company and its systems and evaluate if it needs adjustment. In the case of Japheth, he now uses a shared Google Doc to blast updates even when he’s in the field, because he spends a lot of his time in the field. But Japheth is not the point here. My talk with Japheth should fix any human-related part of the error. We see an increase in his will to rectify the inefficiency. But I had to have another talk but this time with the abstract entity that is the company and say “Hey! MIG! how could this happen on your watch?!” You see, when there’s a will, there should be a way, and that way should as fluid and easily replicable as possible so as to stop similar inefficiencies from coming up later. Interim possibly permanent solution: Google Docs! Leadership is solving problems Let’s go back to the mental adjustment I earlier mentioned. From how I see it, leading a company means taking the baton from the non-humanoid “company” and YOU being in charge of finishing the race. It implies that any inefficiencies of the company become your inefficiencies. It’s failures become yours. And yes the good days are yours also. Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell once said “Leadership is solving problems”. Very aptly put. Why would one take on the challenge of solving problems for a living? The headache! Maybe to earn a living, a reward, as a passion, for leisure, a bonus. But whatever it is, it comes with a significant amount of responsibility to potentially everyone, as in EVERYONE. But like I said, it all depends on how sensitive you are to the inherent role the company plays in the daily lives of other people. The Ripple-Down Effect of Business Decisions A company’s business activities affect many more people than you can readily identify. When it affects one person, it indirectly affects anyone that the person directly affects. That creates a ripple effect from there which theoretically doesn’t end. Because, if every 1 person directly affects, let’s say, 10 people, then on the next level those 10 people will directly affect 100 people (10×10) and these 100 people directly affect 1000 (100×10). Go five levels up and that the company will INDIRECTLY affect the lives of 100,000 people PER PERSON THE COMPANY DIRECTLY AFFECTS. I tried to get fancy by calling Jessica Fleischer-Djoleto for some regression analysis equation or correlation model for this scenario. I always wanted a Bsc in Mathematics; she has one. But the above explanation of the ripple effect should let you understand that companies, their leaders and their business activities can have a significantly huge say in how we go about our daily lives. A company’s business activities influence not only its employees, customers, competitors and suppliers but also the community, even the government, and definitely the environment. Businesses are expected to conduct its operations responsibly and do no harm. A company’s leadership has to adjust its priorities and the team mindset to suit what is expected of a socially conscious business. But as the situation stands, new things come up every now and then. The Era of the #MeToo Movement A good example is the rise of the #MeToo Movement. The cause spread very quickly and it has taken down many powerful figures across the world. This has forced every leading company to re-evaluate what constitutes proper working environment for its employees. Because that is what leaders do, they solve problems, even the ones that haven’t happened yet. You should see why it’s not too much of a chore if a company’s leadership decides to execute a major overhaul of the company’s current practices and its social impact efforts just so they can avoid all the negative publicity that comes from being caught up in a #MeToo scandal. This actually sets you up for long-term success. Government and Lawmakers also have taken note of the change in tide and are taking appropriate measures. For example, in California USA, the rise of the #MeToo Movement saw the birth of new legislation that looks to increase

Digitisation is the process of transforming information and data from a physical format to a digital one. Example: When a government Clerk 1 scans all physical copies of court documents, converts them to a PDF file and saves them on a government computer, that is digitisation. Digitalisation is the process of using digitisation to improve processes. Example: When a government Clerk 2 uploads all the scanned PDF files to an online cloud so that any authorised official can access them anytime, anywhere, that is digitalisation. In the above examples, both Clerk 1 and Clerk 2 have digitised a part of the courts’ processes, but Clerk 2 has digitalised the courts the more. Clerk 2 used digitisation to improve how things get done – digitalisation. Clerk 1’s job is necessary but it’s real impact is only revealed when Clerk 2 comes in. Also note that Clerk 2’s job does not exist without a Clerk 1 scanning the documents first. Digitisation is what enables Digitalisation to happen. Key difference between Digitisation and Digitalisation If you compare the two, you can see that Digitalisation has far more value than Digitisation. Digitisation is merely just making a digital copy of physical things. In the grand scheme of things, digitisation is an important first step to progress, but it does not guarantee it. The Passport Office digitalised its application processes by making it available online. If the Passport Office only scanned available physical documents into a digital format and stopped there, significant progress wouldn’t be actualised. Digitalisation therefore expands on Digitisation to create positive impact. This is where we move on to the 3rd thingie: Digital Transformation. Digital Transformation is the impact caused by digitalisation. Digitisation and Digitalisation are part of Digital Transformation. Example: Clerk 1’s job of scanning physical copies of the court documents is digitisation. When Clerk 2 uploads the digitised data to a cloud, he improves the business processes of the courts and that is digitalisation. The IMPACT all of these will have on our courts system is digital transformation. Now I want you to hold on to that word “IMPACT” and ask yourself what IMPACT the government’s digitalisation of the Passport Office alone has had. The digital transformation of the Ghana Passport Office has been a breath of fresh air to many that no longer have to pay their monthly salaries to middlemen, and it has been a pain in the neck for middlemen that are finding fewer ways to exploit eager applicants. This is the kind of digital transformation through digitisation and its ensuing digitalisation that the Vice President has been talking about for a while now. I heard him explain things further in his address at the opening of the Ghana Office of the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) on Tuesday 6th of August. That’s when I got it: It’s actually a local digital transformation revolution! #JackWhereAreYou gave us the launch of the nationwide digital address system. The Ghana Card or National ID Card has also been rolled out. It was only last week that I heard that our Mobile Money Payments Interoperability, that allows you to transfer money from one network to another, is the first in Africa of its kind. Justice Delivery allows for E-case tracking in the Law Courts. The Ports going paperless stole headlines for quite a while. Registrar General’s Department allowing for E-registration of companies is now a thing. I just spoke of the Passport Office’s digital transformation, and that of the Ministry of Tourism. Did I mention that the Lands Commission is going paperless too? With a click of a button you will soon be able to see who is registered as owner of any piece of land. All those issues of someone selling land many times over to different people might be gone soon enough. There is going to be a National Emergency Number that will be linked with all the emergency services. Police, Fire Service and others will be able to find a caller’s exact location so as to reduce response time, just like with 911 in the States. Procurement also going electronic, making all parts of procurement processes trackable online. Politics aside, all this should make you nod in affirmative gratification. A local digital transformation revolution is what I choose to call it when I realise that the digitisation process is going to affect all government institutions just like it took over the Ports and Harbours, the Passport Office, and the Ministry of Tourism. So far, digitalisation processes has led to measurable impacts in certain areas. For instance, the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Tuesday shared how revenue at the Ministry of Tourism has increased in folds since its digitisation process took place. The ensuing digitalisation of the Ministry of Tourism, particularly it’s payment systems, made it almost impossible to lose track of monies intended for the Ministry’s coffers. This is kind of the digital transformation that has been going on since Ghana’s Digitisation Agenda. And the World Bank approves! The World Bank loves the idea of National Digitisation The World Bank continues to pledge support for Ghana’s Digitisation Agenda because it understands the important role that technology plays in the daily lives of citizens of a developing country. Just one example of Mobile Money shows how the introduction of modern technology can transform how rural areas interact with other parts of Ghana on a daily basis. The World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, Hafez Ghanem, said earlier this year that we can use technology to “improve governance, to reduce corruption, to improve transparency among others; it is really a strong instrument in improving governance”. And he is right. The Ministry of Tourism example is enough proof of this. Cashless Currency is natural an effect of National Digitisation When there is such aggressive digitalisation in a region, you start to see the emergence and dominance of pure digital currencies. When I say digital currencies, don’t go as far as to think BitCoin and the like. Simply