General News
5G will become fastest adopted mobile generation in history- Report
Ericsson, a multinational telecommunications company says that 5G will soon become the fastest adopted mobile generation in history.
Ericsson made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, noting that subscriptions were increasing at a rate of about a million per day.
According to the report, China, North America and the Gulf Cooperation Council markets are leading the way on subscriber numbers, while Europe is off to a slow start.
It said that 5G subscriptions with a 5G-capable device grew by 70 million during the first quarter of 2021 and is forecast to reach 580 million by the end of 2021.
The forecast, which features in the 20th edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, enhances the expectation that 5G would become the fastest adopted mobile generation.
It said that about 3.5 billion 5G subscriptions and 60 per cent 5G population coverage, had been estimated by the end of 2026.
The report, however, said the pace of adoption varies widely by region, adding that Europe was off to a slower start and has continued to fall far behind China, the U.S., Korea, Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets in the pace of 5G deployments.
According to the report, 5G is expected to surpass a billion subscriptions two years ahead of the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) timeline for the same milestone.
The report said that key factors behind the growth included China’s earlier commitment to 5G, availability and increasing affordability of commercial 5G devices.
It said that more than 300 5G smartphone models had already been announced or inaugurated commercially.
“This commercial 5G momentum is expected to continue in coming years, spurred by the enhanced role of connectivity as a key component of post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
“North East Asia is expected to account for the largest share of 5G subscriptions by 2026, with an estimated 1.4 billion 5G subscriptions.
“While North American and GCC markets are expected to account for the highest 5G subscription penetration, with 5G mobile subscriptions comprising 84 per cent and 73 per cent of all regional mobile subscriptions respectively,’’ it said.
Fredrik Jejdling, the Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson said “This landmark twentieth edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report shows that we are in the next phase of 5G.
“With accelerating roll-outs and coverage expansion in pioneer markets such as China, the U.S. and South Korea.’’
Jejdling said it was now time for advanced use cases to start materialising and deliver on the promise of 5G.
He said businesses and societies were also preparing for a post-pandemic world, with 5G-powered digitisation playing a critical role.
The report also highlights that Smartphones and video driving mobile data traffic continues to grow year-on-year.
It said one exabyte (EB) comprises 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) gigabytes (GB).
The report added that global mobile data traffic – excluding traffic generated by fixed wireless access (FWA) – exceeded 49 EB per month at the end of 2020, and was projected to grow by a factor of close to five to reach 237 EB per month in 2026.
The report said that smartphones, which currently carried 95 per cent of this traffic, were also consuming more data than ever.
It said that globally, the average usage-per-smartphone now exceeded 10 GB per month and was forecast to reach 35 GB per month by the end of 2026.
According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating digitisation and increasing the importance and the need for reliable, high-speed mobile broadband connectivity.
It said that latest report showed that almost nine out of ten communications service providers (CSPs) that had inaugurated 5G, and had also fixed wireless access (FWA) offering (4G or 5G), even in markets with high fiber penetration.
According to the report, it is needed to accommodate increasing FWA traffic, which it forecasts to grow by a factor of seven to reach 64 EB in 2026. (NAN)
General News
Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else
At a solemn ordination service in Abuja, senior church leaders have called on pastors to make the well-being of their congregations a top priority, following the example of Jesus Christ.
Speaking during the priesthood ordination and installation of a Sub Dean at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the retired Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Okene, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, described pastors as shepherds charged with the care of their flock. He urged them to shun worldly distractions and focus on meeting the spiritual and material needs of their members.
Bishop Ajulo also encouraged the newly ordained priests to remain faithful to their calling by teaching God’s word without compromise.
In his charge, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, urged the new clergy to preach the undiluted gospel and foster religious harmony wherever they serve. He expressed confidence that their new roles would help promote peace and unity in society.
The service also featured prayers for national leaders and divine intervention in addressing the current global economic challenges.
General News
1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance
In a dramatic show of faith and patriotism, over 1,000 fiery prayer warriors from across Nigeria will descend on Ilorin, Kwara State, this Saturday, lifting their voices in intense intercession for President Bola Tinubu’s success and Nigeria’s survival in the face of biting economic woes and mounting insecurity.
The spiritual siege, themed “Walking in Domini”, is the maiden convention of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), with its Kwara State Chairman, Evangelist Thomas Adeboye, vowing that “heaven will hear and respond to Nigeria’s cry.”
Aside from marathon prayers, the gathering will roll out free medical outreach to locals across Kwara’s LGAs, a gesture aimed at touching both body and soul.
Adeboye, lamenting Nigeria’s “troubling economic and security realities”, called for a nationwide prayer uprising, insisting that Tinubu has shown the will to revive the nation but needs massive divine backing to succeed.
“Banditry, a collapsing economy, and political tension demand we seek God’s face like never before,” he declared. “We will storm heaven for wisdom for the President and governors to steer Nigeria to safety.”
The convention will also feature awards to distinguished personalities, soul-lifting worship, fiery sermons, and unity-driven lectures—all capped with thunderous prayers for Nigeria’s redemption.
Adeboye urged the President to ensure every policy has “a human face,” stressing that Nigerians must not only endure but also enjoy the fruits of governance.
With the OAIC promising to reaffirm believers’ authority in Christ and rally spiritual boldness in the face of national challenges, Ilorin is set to become the epicentre of a powerful spiritual warfare for Nigeria’s destiny.
General News
Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift
…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.
In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.
The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.
