Exploring the potential of 5G to bridge the digital divide in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorPatel, Mr Ashraf
dc.contributor.authorDumako, Sebongile
dc.date.accessioned2024-05-16T08:46:42Z
dc.date.available2024-05-16T08:46:42Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.departmentDigital Business
dc.descriptionA research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in the field of Digital Business
dc.description.abstract5G adoption is expected to boost job growth and income, and reduce costs, contributing to the South African National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 goal of a connected society, especially in underserved areas, and improving affordability and broadband infrastructure accessibility. This research study sets out to explore the potential of 5G in bridging the digital divide in South Africa. The researcher undertook a qualitative study through semi-structured interviews of industry experts using an interview guide as the research instrument. The sample was made up of a qualitative study of the perceptions of 14 participants from the telecommunications sector, a research council, the government, and SMEs, with first-hand experience in 5G deployment and manufacturing of 5G equipment. The themes that emerged during the process of data analysis were derived using a thematic analysis. The study findings revealed that South Africa to is ready to adopt 5G technology and confirmed 5G technology's potential to transform South African lives, businesses, and industries through Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (uRLLC) use cases, thus aligning with the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) 2020 vision. 5G offers significant potential for improving service delivery in South Africa, enabling e-government, and saving time, money, and convenience in various sectors. However, 5G technology's potential to revolutionize life and work faces socioeconomic challenges and slow government implementation, hindering its potential to bridge the digital divide. Recommendations have been posited for each of the stakeholders involved in the 5G ecosystem in South Africa to help overcome the digital divide.
dc.description.librarianMM2024
dc.facultyFaculty of Commerce, Law and Management
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/38474
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg
dc.rights© University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg
dc.schoolWits Business School
dc.subject3G
dc.subject4G
dc.subject5G
dc.subjectBroadband
dc.subjectDigital divide
dc.subjectMobile evolution
dc.subjectICT
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.subjectSpectrum
dc.subjectPolicy
dc.subject.otherSDG-9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
dc.titleExploring the potential of 5G to bridge the digital divide in South Africa
dc.typeDissertation
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