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connected automotive and are now moving<br />

into the next phase which is v2x which is<br />

vehicle to everything connectivity. So that<br />

is vehicle to pedestrian, vehicle to vehicle,<br />

vehicle to infrastructure and that’s going<br />

to change the landscape <strong>of</strong> transportation.<br />

It’s going to make autonomous driving a<br />

reality and it’s going to reduce accidents so<br />

the benefits <strong>of</strong> having the connectivity are<br />

going to be industry changing. Besides this<br />

we are also focusing on multiple segments<br />

mainly entertainment, wearables tracking<br />

and some other IoT verticals.<br />

JS: How soon will we see “Automated<br />

Driving” and what should be the real<br />

expectations?<br />

GK: The evolution is going to be gradual.<br />

We are not going to get there by phasing<br />

in or phasing out. Initially the whole idea <strong>of</strong><br />

connected cars is “assisted driving” so it’s<br />

different dynamics than other markets.<br />

Would you like to elaborate on that?<br />

GK: Africa is more <strong>of</strong> an adopted mature<br />

technology market. It means that Africa<br />

only adopts a technology when the devices<br />

and the ecosystem drops down to a point<br />

where it’s affordable and that’s quite logical<br />

given the economies and the purchasing<br />

power <strong>of</strong> the area. When we talk about<br />

the migration <strong>of</strong> technology, 2G is there<br />

because <strong>of</strong> legacy. 3G is deployed and is<br />

widespread and the countries in this region<br />

that have jumped to 4G are very few. There<br />

are few specific markets and areas which<br />

we talk about the digital divide we talk<br />

about being connected to the internet.<br />

This digital divide is being addressed now<br />

with 3G smartphones that are affordable.<br />

The migration <strong>of</strong> the operators to 4G is<br />

happening and that’s going to bridge the<br />

gap for better connectivity usage even<br />

more.<br />

JS: When will see the actual<br />

commercialization <strong>of</strong> 5G?<br />

GK: 5G will be standardized in the 2019 time<br />

frame and in 2020 it will be commercialized<br />

globally. You may see some 5G networks<br />

Initially the whole<br />

idea <strong>of</strong> connected cars<br />

is “assisted driving”<br />

so it’s not going<br />

to be completely<br />

autonomous, the<br />

driving is going to be<br />

assisted autonomous<br />

driving”<br />

not going to be completely autonomous,<br />

the driving is going to be assisted<br />

autonomous driving. You are going to get<br />

interaction with infrastructure to be able<br />

to manage traffic, to manage accidents<br />

and the achievement will be to minimize<br />

these kind <strong>of</strong> accidents, “minimize” not<br />

“eliminate”. So from the legal perspective<br />

nothing changes because the car is not<br />

autonomous, you are the assistant driver.<br />

Autonomy is happening in very close areas<br />

and that’s going to stay, the autonomy<br />

will stay in very dedicated tracks in<br />

very dedicated areas and in controlled<br />

environments until other issues are<br />

resolved.<br />

JS: Africa is a very important market for<br />

telecom operators - however, it has quite<br />

have adopted that but if you look at the<br />

continent, it has successfully migrated to 3G<br />

and now it’s in the phase to migrate to 4G.<br />

Why? Because the price <strong>of</strong> the devices has<br />

actually reached affordability.<br />

Now, we can talk about 4G smartphones<br />

below $100 which is affordable in terms <strong>of</strong><br />

the initial migration. Ideally, we want to see<br />

it go down to the $50 mark or below but<br />

that’s a roadmap and we will get there.<br />

2G is now is very low cost ranging from<br />

$7 to $15 and from a consumer point <strong>of</strong><br />

view, this is not the person who wants<br />

to be connected to the internet, he just<br />

wants to use it for the phone. But when<br />

launch here and there, maybe in Korea<br />

and Japan in early 2018 and maybe in US<br />

in second half <strong>of</strong> 2018 but commercial<br />

availability <strong>of</strong> the devices will not happen<br />

before 2020.<br />

We have announced X50 that will be<br />

launched in the second half <strong>of</strong> 2018. 5G will<br />

come quickly in many areas like the US,<br />

Europe, China, Middle East, and then there<br />

is Africa where it’s all about the 5G devices<br />

hitting the affordability mark. The roll out<br />

and network discussions will start in Africa<br />

anytime in 2020. And when the price will<br />

hit the $100 mark that’s when you will start<br />

seeing the acceleration. So it really comes<br />

down to price for this region.<br />

January 2017<br />

31

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