Question

Entry to the AI, robotics and blockchain: Make use of value chain management theories and discuss how the rural poor can gain access to the technology or 5G (fifth generation cellular network technology)? Note: please consider the role of Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

Answer 1

Current trends in telecommunication networks foresee the adoption of the fifth generation (5G) of wireless networks

in the near future. However, a large number of people are living without coverage and connectivity.

There is significant excitement and talk about deployment of 5G within the next few years, with major commercial rollouts expected in 2020. However, 5G in its purest and stand-alone form has its challenges when it comes to deployment in rural areas. We’ll need a change in the technology behind 5G and financial backing in order to bring 5G to rural areas.

From a technical point of view, the range of radio frequencies that are slated for high data rate implementations of 5G are in the millimeter Wave (mmWave) range. mmWave radio waves have the inherent physical characteristic that they do not travel over long distances well, nor do they bend around corners or go through obstacles. These inherent characteristics require that the cell sites (base station towers) in a 5G network be placed much closer to each other as compared to 4G and previous generations of wireless systems. For example, the typical cell site in a 5G network would have a range of 500 feet - this is in contrast to a range of 1200 feet in a 4G network. Therefore, the very fundamental technology in 5G that makes it cost effective for densely populated areas makes it very costly for rural deployment.

On the other hand, the significantly higher bandwidth offered by 5G does allow rural end users to enjoy high speed Internet connectivity similar to their urban or suburban counterparts. So, how can one close the gap between the cost requirements and service advantages of 5G? One feasible approach would be to use the 5G wireless network for the “last mile(s)” and then link these 5G pockets to more cost-effective landline long haul networks. This hybrid deployment will eliminate the exorbitant cost of providing high speed landlines to every remote rural community, as the end users will have wireless internet access, while the bulk of the network for the long haul will be on legacy landline infrastructure.

Yet another approach could be to use the legacy lower radio frequencies (same as the 4G frequencies) for 5G rural deployments. This simply means that the high data rates advertised for 5G will not be achievable using this deployment approach. This is still with the understanding that even today, in large pockets of the U.S., rural areas have no 4G coverage.

It is a tough balancing act between providing high data rates to the sparsely populated areas and keeping the infrastructure cost (5G cell sites) low. Most likely 4G networks will carry the bulk of the traffic while slowly, these hybrid networks come to the fore.

The other contributing factor is finances. Bringing 5G broadband to the areas outside of densely populated areas means that we’ll be needing large sums of money to back the deployment. For example, the FCC Chairman announced his intent to create the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which will inject $20.4 billion into high-speed broadband networks in rural America over the next decade.

Challenges

5G Technology Challenges

The application of 5G in rural and low-income areas is challenged by the peculiar features of such scenarios. Tab. 1 reports a comparison between a classical 5G urban scenario [5] against 5G rural and lowincome ones3 (whose requirements may be inferred from [36]). In contrast to 5G urban’s most advanced Internet services such as High-Definition (HD) streaming, tactile Internet and Internet of Things, many rural and low-income regions are still disconnected from the rest of the world and the lack of Internet coverage is the most critical problem to be tackled. The state of several essential services such as e-Learning and e-Health have remained substandard. Therefore, the infrastructure is required to support the appropriate set of applications to guarantee these essential services according to their different network constraints such as bandwidth requirements and link reliability. While for urban zones it is important to maximize the bandwidth and minimize the delay, in rural areas it is essential to guarantee a given minimum amount of bandwidth to users (e.g., the one required to deliver video services - but not high definition). Additionally, in rural and low-income zones it is even more important to guarantee basic coverage rather than high bandwidth services. In addition, another aspect that can not be neglected is that in rural and low-income zone the power grid may be not always available and/or unreliable, thus suggesting that renewable sources (such as the sun and the wind) should be exploited. Moreover, the cost of the network from the user side should be kept as low as possible, keeping also in mind that in low-income areas the users should pay much less for an Internet connection compared to the urban regions. This also inevitably influences the associated business models in such zones, which can not be based on the classical Return On Investment (ROI), but rather on the fact that the Internet is a primary need, that should be provided, e.g., by the government rather than private operators.4 Moreover, the network has to be flexible in all scenarios. For example, in rural and low-income zone the network has, e.g., to deal with the scarcity of electricity, as well as to wisely manage the network resources in order to guarantee coverage. Finally, the user mobility has to be always taken into account. Specifically, rural and low-income zones are characterised by relatively lower mobility compared to urban ones.5 This feature may also have an influence on the design of the network in such zones.

Socio-Economic Challenges

In addition to these aspects, we would like to stress that networking alone is not sufficient to enable effective usage of its applications and services for a sustainable development. Other socio-economic challenges are also to be taken into account. First, affordability is to be considered in the networking development if the citizens want to use it effectively to achieve better living conditions. The cost of broadband connectivity is still higher than the average income in developing countries. Therefore, it can be a financial barrier for the poor citizens and communities from benefiting from networking. Second, it is also crucial to consider how relevant are applications and services provided. Their users, especially the low-income people, need applications that are necessary to their primary development needs such as the basic instructions they can understand, accessible through devices and services that they can afford and use conveniently. Third, human capacity is as critical as applications. Users need knowledge and skills to fully benefit from networking-enabled services, including ICT-based skills in the areas such as computer networking, web and basic applications development and elementary network security are essential in all societies. Governments and policy-makers need to understand the technical aspects of networking and their services, as well as the interplay between technological and public policy domains. Finally, the impact of the networking on environment is also critical. The networking can drive energy efficiency, smart systems and services to enable more productivities. However, networking is to be also a growing source of material consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This negative impact will increase as networking become more and more widespread.

After a deep dive into the current state-of-the-art, we considered the main challenges that need to be faced for a full exploitation of 5G in such areas. In order to achieve this goal, we discussed a number of architectural features, including: the adoption of a converged solution, the reusability of network components, the exploitation of commodity hardware, the deployment of solar powered energy-efficient devices, UAVs and advanced radio techniques. Additionally, we proposed a reference architecture. As future work, we plan a number of research activities. First of all, a detailed characterization of requirements of users is mandatory in both rural and low-income zone. This task would then drive the definition of more detailed technology solutions targeted to each specific context. In addition, we plan to study the radio issues that may emerge. For example, a large cell may provide coverage over a vast area. However, the uplink budget may be constrained by the user power and therefore there is an issue when the terminal is far from the macro cell, since a high amount of uplink power would be required. Moreover, different functional splits aiming to reduce the amount of data transferred between the RRH and the BBU will be also investigated. In addition, we plan to tackle the problem of computing the optimal UAVs trajectory to serve a set of users in a rural area. Finally, we plan also to analyse the proposed solutions in terms of CAPEX and OPEX, as well as properly dimensioning the solar panels needed to run the networks and services.

The Independent Communication Authority of South Africa is a product of statute, the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa Amendment Act of 2000, amended in 2005.

ICASA was established in July 2000, as a merger of the telecommunications regulator, the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA).

The ICASA Amendment Act 2005 also provided for the incorporation of the Postal Regulator into ICASA. The Amendment Act of 2005 also increased ICASA's council complement from seven to nine councillors.

The Authority is responsible for regulating the telecommunications, broadcasting and postal industries in the public interest and ensure affordable services of a high quality for all South Africans. The Authority also issues licenses to telecommunications and broadcasting service providers', enforces compliance with rules and regulations, protects consumers from unfair business practices and poor quality services, hears and decides on disputes and complaints brought against licensees and controls and manages the effective use of radio frequency spectrum. ICASA is a Chapter 9 institution (an institution which supports democracy) in terms of the South African Constitution and is a portfolio organisation of the Department of Communications (DoC).

FUNCTIONS OF ICASA

• To license broadcasters, signal distributors, providers of telecommunication services and postal services;
• To make regulations;
• To impose license conditions;
• To plan, assign, control, enforce and manage the frequency spectrum;
• To ensure international and regional co-operation;
• To ensure the efficient allocation of numbers;
• To ensure interoperability of networks;
• To receive and resolve complaints

Universal Service and Access

Universal Service and Access is the policy of the Government of South Africa that requires all people to have access to basic communication services at affordable prices. The role of ICASA as a regulator is central to achieving this goal. The Authority promotes the attainment of universal service and access by putting requirements in operators' licenses to roll out services in under-serviced areas and ensuring that licensees contribute to the Universal Service Fund. ICASA does not, however, administer the Universal Service Fund, but merely receives monies on behalf of the Universal Service Agency of South Africa (USAASA)

The Authority is also responsible for ensuring that relevant and appropriate broadcasting services are extended to all citizens.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) acts as a watchdog of the telecommunications, broadcasting and postal industries. The Authority is mandated to receive complaints from the public about services provided by telecommunications, broadcasting and postal licensees. The providers of telecommunications services and products have a duty to give consumers fair hearing and settlement with respect to complaints about poor services and faulty equipment. The Authority facilitates the resolution of these complaints or refers to the Complaint and Compliance Committee (CCC). The CCC is an independent committee of Council, headed by a judge of the High Court. The consumer affairs division is tasked to educate consumers about the role and functions of ICASA. It also educates them about the importance of understanding their rights, and the procedures in complaints handling.

COMPETITION

The Authority is mandated to create competition in the telecommunications, broadcasting and the postal industries. In turn, competition brings about affordable prices for goods and services rendered and provides value for money to consumers.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

ICASA's strategic objectives are to promote competition, promote the digital agenda and improve the stakeholder and consumer experience:

Promote competition

ICASA implements measures to facilitate effective, competitive markets in the sector.

Promote the digital agenda

ICASA aims to create an environment conducive to universal broadband provision and digital broadcasting services.

Improve the stakeholder and consumer experience

ICASA's third objective is to facilitate an efficient, operational environment to reduce regulatory burden, contribute to social cohesion and nation building, and protect audiences and consumers from harmful practices.