By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmonstribunemedia.net

CONSULTATION is being launched over 5G communications technology in The Bahamas.  

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) released a consultation document addressing the rollout in The Bahamas yesterday.

The regulator emphasised that implementing 5G is essential for meeting growing demand and keeping pace with global technological advancements.

URCA highlighted several benefits of 5G, including enhanced performance, improved efficiency, and increased versatility for users.

The technology aligns with the government’s policy for the Electronic Communications Sector (ECS), aiming to offer 5G services to visitors and businesses from countries where 5G is standard, and to extend broadband access to remote islands and underserved communities.

“5G can be used to build Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) offers to the islands where direct fibre connections to homes and businesses are not economic,” said URCA.

“While these offers can be provided with existing 4G networks, FWA offers using 5G would likely improve quality and capacity of services in Family Islands. Therefore, the work carried out to facilitate 5G deployment could also contribute to improved connectivity solutions in remote areas irrespective of the technology.”

The regulator said 5G could enhance connectivity for ICT hubs, support e-government initiatives, facilitate online education, improve private networks in ports, and contribute to building resilient communication networks.

However, URCA also identified several challenges for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). These include the need for sufficient energy and backhaul capacity.

“MNOs can repurpose some of their existing spectrum for 5G deployment. However, they will also require additional spectrum to fully implement 5G on their mobile sites,” the document stated.

“MNOs have expressed to URCA that unreliable power supply is an issue that has affected mobile networks in The Bahamas for several years and that outside of densely populated areas there are bottlenecks on current backhaul capacities.”

Challenges also include the scalability of existing mobile sites and the financial viability of 5G deployments.

“5G is commonly deployed incrementally, using existing mobile sites where existing antennas are replaced by 5G-enabled antennas,” said URCA.

“However, 5G antennas are significantly larger and heavier, necessitating an assessment of whether existing towers can support the additional weight and wind load. Deploying new or reinforcing existing towers will impact the timing and costs of deploying 5G.”

URCA also noted that the business case for a comprehensive 5G rollout is challenging.

“5G will likely initially serve specific customers or hotspot locations where demand is high, and there is limited willingness to pay for this new technology among existing customers,” the document explained.

“In rural areas such as the Family Islands, it is very likely that MNOs will need cooperation or mutualisation to deploy 5G.”

Concerns were also raised about the availability and affordability of compatible end-user devices and social acceptance of 5G networks.

“5G can only be used by end users equipped with compatible handsets. The availability of affordable devices is crucial to ensuring that consumers benefit from 5G services,” said URCA.

Additionally, there are public concerns in some regions about the health effects of radio waves from mobile towers and the environmental impact of data-intensive networks.

URCA emphasised the need for a “clear and stable” regulatory framework to encourage investment in 5G technology.

“Without a clear and stable regulatory environment, MNOs will not be able to plan and invest in 5G with confidence, as they would be unaware of the rules and guidelines they must follow,” the regulator stated.

The consultation period for the 5G implementation document will end on October 7.