TELECOMS
in major cities , where the most people live , before extending into the suburbs and more rural areas ,” he says , explaining that the key factor behind this process “ essentially comes down to economics ” for operators . “ Operators often prioritise network improvements or new technology rollouts - like 5G - in areas where the average revenue per user ( ARPU ) is high - areas where people spend the most on their phone bill ,” Halsey continues . “ In effect , that means that people who already have good performance are the first to see upgrades . People in lower ARPU areas , meanwhile , who likely see worse performance in the first place , are also less likely to see their performance improve . It ’ s a bit of a ‘ the rich
“ It ’ s a ‘ the rich get richer ’ scenario that regulatory agencies and operators need to address before we can hope to narrow the divide ”
KEVIN HASLEY CEO , ROOTMETRICS get richer ’ scenario that regulatory agencies and operators need to address before we can hope to narrow the divide .”
Closing the Digital Divide Just like any problem of daunting scope , addressing the issues of the digital divide won ’ t be solved one way . There is no silver bullet , but rather a host of promising steps that , if taken together , could result in bringing millions into the digital age .
Ian Duggan , CEO of Indigo Telecom , stresses that “ Fibre is not the only way to bridge the digital divide and connect homes and businesses in rural parts of the world . Wireless and 5G technologies also play a key part .” By eliminating the view that fibre and wireless connectivity need to exist in a state of competition , operators can build towards a market in which “ where one wins over the other as the primary source of access should always depend on the business case and other network backhaul considerations .”
Connectivity provided by constellations of low earth orbit satellites could also extend network coverage in places where terrestrial infrastructure is too expensive or difficult to install . “ LEO satellites offer backhaul connectivity on a global scale ,” White explains . “ Instead of connecting each individual small village with microwave or fibre , a LEO satellite network allows blanket global coverage for backhaul purposes .” He adds that other methods , like more affordable electronic
46 January 2022