During the event, the telco’s CEO Mr. Wim Vanhellupute explained the networking technology as a wireless version of a Fiber-optic connection. Though no open WiFi hotspot was created for on-ground users to test the technology, the MTN CTO Gordian Kyomukama inked maximum speeds of 2Gbps for the network band under normal usage

Excitingly, we attended this futuristic 5G reveal and here are some key takeaways that include a Smart Robot, advanced VR gear, 5G applications, and the trial speed test results.

5G Network Speeds

830Mbps is the maximum 5G speed MTN Uganda’s first demo achieved. Although the telco inked a peak of 2Gbps, the trial showcase having a close to Gigabit ethernet speeds (1000Mbps) was a big reveal since the technology has not been fully deployed as yet.

Unlike Standard Ethernet connections that rock at 100Mbps, Gigabit ethernet at 1000Mbps is limited to fiber-optic connections__ a standard that with 5G. So, once fully deployed in Uganda after several pilot studies, it’s by no doubt that regular 4G will become history with 3G and 2G ranking as the most unused bands in the country.

The Human Controlled Robot

Imagine a Robot that mirrors each and every action you do, this is what the MTN 5G Smart Robot achieved during the trial at Nyonyi Gardens. A user on the left side of the robot was connected with the robot through wireless buds and each and every action she executed, the 5G robot would then mirror it in less than 0.5 milliseconds

With such latency adopted to an Internet of Things (IoT) element like the MTN 5G robot, the pace of human-engineered actions can be stored to the machine’s memory to fully execute actions in standalone mode.

VR

Virtual Reality (VR) gear is the future of display computing, through VR, you can easily play games and browse several services including the Internet through connected gear

Well, MTN Uganda showcased its 5G VR gear that runs arcade games and services stored on the device’s memory. However, the build quality of this VR gear seemed like the regular gear that is currently available on the market and MTN’s demo might have meant usage spikes once 5G fully sets in.

The Future of 5G in Uganda

According to the UCC ED Mr. Godfrey Mutabazi, 4G currently covers border to border. This means the network standard has been spread across the country and 5G will be an easy adoption as well.

Now that MTN Uganda has taken lead in conducting 5G trials in Uganda, this means once technology giants like Huawei and ZTE fully avail 5G gear, 5G will then be deployed in phases by adopting 4G like subscriber spreads.

At the moment, we expect a reply from another Uganda based telco like Airtel or Africell to attempt a 5G reveal and once successful, the competition strides will attract a who rolls out 5G first once the technology is made available by IT equipment giants like Huawei and ZTE.

In collaboration with its Technology partner ZTE, MTN Uganda has showcased fifth generation (5G) cellular network proof today at its Kololo based Nyonyi Gardens offices making it the first telecom in East Africa to hold a 5G trial.

The 5G demo in Uganda follows recent tests in SouthAfrica and Nigeria run by MTN Group. This means, the 5G reveal by MTN Uganda is the 3rd in Africa and the first of its kind in East Africa which comprises of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

5G offers true mobility, robust connections, and incredible reliability through blazing fast download speeds with seamless connectivity, ultra-realistic graphics and human-like reflex response times. The network standard enables simultaneous connection of billions of devices worldwide at speeds 10 times better than the current 4G standards.

Think of 5G technology as the Internet of Things (IoT) major network standard connecting Smart objects and equipment like cars, fridges, lights, homes, robots, among others as recently showcased at the 2018 MTN 5G Expo

In fact, we managed to get a taste of what the technology offers in conjunction with Smart objects like Robots. The MTN Smart robot was able to mirror actions by a Human-agent and perform the same actions as the linked user to its system

Speaking at the demo event, the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, underscored the importance of technology in acceleration of socio-economic empowerment in Uganda

“The role 5G will have in transforming the way our farmers do their business (for example) cannot be overstated. Like we have experienced with other innovations, government is excited by the potential positive impact 5G will have on the economy.”

Hon Ruhukana Rugunda – Prime Minister of the republic of Uganda

In a bid to enforce the telco’s strategy of delivering next generation mobile broadband benefits in Uganda, the MTN CEO confirmed the telco’s 5G and network quality improvement goals as he said

We are pleased to be the first telecommunication company to introduce this groundbreaking technology in the East African region. 5G Technology will benefit the country in terms of improved quality of communication between massive numbers of devices, improved speeds, efficiency of service and security in addition to the increase of capacity for digital applications and innovations which will benefit both businesses and consumers alike

Mr Wim Vanhellepute – CEO, MTN Uganda

According to MTN Uganda, its successful 5G network test which at the moment spins at 830 Mbps is still a demo and will run for a total of 4 days at its Kololo based Nyonyi gardens home in preparation for full 5G deployment once the technology is fully ready to take off.