The arrival of 5G network service in the country is expected improve internet services especially during this covid 19 pandemic when most are encouraged to work from home to avert spread of the contagious disease.
With the unprecedented times that face people today, it calls for Governments to provide solutions for their people so that they can adopt new ways of living where they will work in a conducive environment that is affordable and reliable.
. The recent launch has proven to be a cause of celebration as is expected to come in handy for the people during such tough times when everyone is living in fear of contracting the virus from the environment and the people they are associating with.
In line to the current upward surge of new infections in the country, the government was forced to lock down some counties which are major hotspots for covid 19 and due to the same many companies have been advised to allow their employees to work from home and most schools have been shut down to help control the spread of the virus.
To some, this is another nightmare because it feels like everything is coming to a standstill again but very few have taken the initiative to ensure day to day activities still run smoothly.
For the students, Virtual learning is slowly being adopted but this can be a challenge to those who don’t have reliable network sources. It also becomes a challenge when one is advised to work from home but he/she does not have a reliable internet or at times the network provider is slow making it hard for one to beat deadlines.
The new 5G network has proven to be 10 times faster than its predecessor 4G as it supports up to 1million connected devices per square kilometer thus proving to be effective for people working from home and those who depend fully on internet availability to run their activities.
The innovation has also triggered different reactions from the people, some supporting it while others think otherwise. For Charles Adenda a resident of Muthaiga, speaking to KNA today, he thinks that this will only benefit a few people. To him the devices that are 5G enabled are so expensive and also their internet connectivity is quite costly. He therefore feels the Government should consider people from low backgrounds and come up with reasonable prices that favors everyone so that nobody is left out.
This launch is to bring about an age of seamless connection due to its little latency.Mwita Vincent from Muthaiga explains to KNA how excited he is about the new network during a one on one interview yesterday after a church service. “I have a boutique but I decided to start selling my goods online when covid was first reported in the country and businesses were closed down.
After realizing most people were spending their time binging on online content, I decided to try selling on online platforms, a thing that helped me expand my business. Even though sometimes it was hard to connect to people due to my unreliable internet which kept buffering from time to time, I believe through 5G network which has been proven to be fast internet it will open up fresh opportunities for businesses like mine by enabling people to leverage on online marketplace. That is why I’m excited about it as it will help me grow sustainably.
Speaking to Peter Njogu a freelancer who specializes in online writing in Kasarani estate of Nairobi County, he feels this will be of great benefit to him because through fast internet, he can conduct his research online effectively and communicate to his clients through apps like zoom without technical difficulties.
According to Mr. Joe Mucheru the cabinet secretary ICT, 5G will help people communicate faster, spur innovations and it will help businesses to reap huge dividends and grow at a faster rate.
By Lydia Shiloya and Noel Kuchio
