Connectivity:
The Background
For decades, cellular connectivity has been not merely a luxury, but a necessity in the lives of many. The launch of 2G cell networks in the early 1990s marked a shift in the world becoming more interconnected than ever.
This trend has only been expedited by the shifts to 3G/4G/5G, allowing access to more than just voice and text, and the widespread adoption of smartphones in the 2010s.
Currently, connectivity is about far more than just communication; it enables access to information, location tracking, networking, and conducting all manner of business. However, the growing ubiquity of connectivity, and the myriad of ways in which people now take advantage of it, has exposed certain challenges for the companies facilitating it.
3.7 Billion People at Risk of Being Left Behind in the 5G Revolution
The shift from 3G to 4G, or even from 2G to 3G, has not covered 100% of the world. Most cellular providers have chosen to invest in cities and urban areas - places with higher population density and more workable infrastructure.
With only around 56% of the world’s population living in urban areas, up to 3.7 billion people risk losing out on more advanced connectivity, a number that is likely to be exacerbated as newer technology becomes more expensive to implement.
It’s estimated that worldwide 5G infrastructure will cost up to $2.7 trillion to implement in the long run. Given this kind of expense, advancements in connectivity are likely to be more isolated to major urban areas, leaving rural environments with older, less reliable, and more fragile technology.
We have seen infrastructure worldwide, urban and rural alike, be tested against the effects of climate change and increasingly extreme weather -
and we have also seen the cost.
Hurricane Maria cost up to $20 billion dollars in Puerto Rico alone. Flooding cost Pakistan $40 billion in 2022. The more recent flooding in the United Arab Emirates and its bordering countries have cost up to $850 million.
Climate Change Threatens
Telecom Networks:
Billions at Risk of Disconnection
These costs can be owed in part to the damaging, and subsequent disconnection, of telecom infrastructure. The recent influx of natural disasters has shown the shortcomings of the philosophy behind the majority of telecom infrastructure - much of it built between the 1990s and 2010s, not factoring in climate change as a major concern - especially as fields like emergency services endeavor to digitalize and take full advantage of connectivity.
These services depend on telecoms not only for search and rescue efforts, but also data collection, predictive analysis, public announcements, and even accessing healthcare remotely. Disconnection as a result of extreme weather or natural disaster can put a serious hamper on these services, potentially endangering countless lives.