During the recently held Abu Dhabi Business Week, SAMENA Council, represented by CEO & Board Member, Bocar BA, drew attention to four key contexts and where the Industry currently is with respect to 5G, and why it is imperative that innovation is fostered within the 5G ecosystem as a way to ensure digital inclusion, hence manifesting ICT maturity. Investment, Incentivization, Inclusion, and Progress are integral aspects of value-addition created by 5G. 5G has created a foundation for a very large ecosystem of human and machine connections, and digital development that is linked to such connections. Multiple SDGs are linked to digital development, digital transformation, new opportunities, and efficient, connectivity-based models and solutions that are becoming a reality with 5G. This process needs to continue over the next five years until 2030.
Sustainable, reliable, affordable, and all-inclusive connectivity is among the greatest considerations, and innovation with 5G can help open new avenues for socio-economic growth and new use-cases for an all-inclusive connectivity. Where 5G really matters is the prospects it carries for fostering ICT maturity and the potential to help accelerate transition to Internet Protocol version 6.
Earlier, SAMENA Council contributed insights and made recommendations on transitioning from IPv4 to IPv6 at the Joint Forum on IPv6, organized by the Kazakhstan Telecommunications Committee and Huawei in Almaty, Kazakhstan. At the Forum, SAMENA Council remarked on the progress made in Kazakhstan with respect to the national “Digital Kazakhstan” vision, and aspirations set forth by the Kazakhstan government to achieve universal high-quality internet access by 2025. Bocar BA, in a keynote speech during the IPv6 forum, stated:
“SAMENA Council observes that Kazakhstan’s commitment to ensuring 100% population coverage and fostering growth in a thriving digital ecosystem is a top priority for the policymakers, keen to address needs of their millions of citizens and businesses. This clearly means that the right direction for Kazakhstan’s digital transformation has already been set. However, following this direction requires investment, financial and strategic resources, infrastructure, continuation of the right policy and regulatory approaches, and access to digital space resources, that is, more IP addresses.”
Sustainable digital transformation in the 5G era requires strategic investments, and alignment with global standards, and a large digital address space for ubiquitous connectivity to materialize. This large address space inevitably necessitates transitioning from IPV4 to IPv6. A robust, IPv6-enabled digital infrastructure will help ignite more innovation and reduce inefficiencies for enterprises and governments alike.
As the ecosystem develops at an accelerated pace, and as innovation in the 5G era becomes necessary to help monetize investments, it is critical for nations and enterprises to prepare in a timely manner to leverage IPv6 capabilities. IPv6 offers vastly more address space, which is crucial as the number of connected devices continues to grow globally. By transitioning to IPv6, internet infrastructure can be made future-proof, supporting a growing number of human users and devices across industries and key economic sectors. IPv6-enabled IoT devices can help optimize economic sector productivity, for example, in farming and food security. IPv6 can also accelerate FinTech coverage and innovation. Moreover, greater inclusion and innovation can be achieved in the e-commerce space, directly helping in diversifying economies of the developing countries as well as improving cross-border trade, and empowering local entrepreneurs in accessing global markets through innovative services and ideas.
SAMENA Council believes that achieving ICT maturity should be a top priority for all countries, especially within the SA-ME-NA, Central Asia, ASEAN, and Africa nations. Benefits of digitalization are felt by all—governments, enterprises, and individuals. In this regard, it is important that all those who benefit from broadband must, in their own ways and capacities, also contribute to the financial mechanisms that enable its development, and guarantee its financial sustainability. Fifth-generation networks, greater address space, and financing and funding solutions will have a direct impact on the scale and pace of innovation across all regions in the coming years.
Source: SAMENA Council Press release