The pandemic has imposed an accelerated pace of digitalization and introduction of new, super-fast digital communication networks of the future, based on optic technologies and 5G wireless networks. Makedonski Telekom has invested over EUR 45 million in the modernization of the network and the enabling of 5G, wherein, thus far, one third of the territory of Macedonia has been covered with equipment of the latest Ericsson generation. 25 years after the introduction of mobile communications in Macedonia, Telekom is building the fifth generation network. The new technologies have also brought about intensive debates and doubts as to whether the 5G network is harmful, what sort of scenarios are in store for us after the introduction of artificial intelligence, how we can control the power of technology and how mankind will still manage to retain the control. Regarding these issues and the specific steps aimed at the digital transformation of Macedonia, MKD.mk talked to Nikola Ljusev, the Chief Executive Officer of Makedonski Telekom.

5g intrvju

Where is Makedonski Telekom positioned in the 5G context?

- If 5G is the future of wireless telecommunications, we at Telekom already announced it exactly three years ago, at the first public 5G demonstration, when we stated – with 5G the future is now! It was our motto with which we wanted to point out that 5G is one of the indispensable prerequisites for the occurrence of the fourth industrial revolution. We worked with utter dedication on approximating the benefits of 5G to all social stakeholders – the customers and the business community, the state, the regulator and the academic community. 25 years after the introduction of the first mobile network in Macedonia, Telekom is prepared for 5G as well.

Our guiding motif and inspiration has been the sense of social responsibility to introduce this modern 5G communication technology for a better future for all of us – now and here in Macedonia.

We started in 2018 with the demonstration of 5G at our premises and soon thereafter we installed test base stations in the centre of Skopje and Ohrid. We established cooperation with the Telecommunications Institute at the FEEIT, whereby professors and students had an opportunity to test our 5G equipment.

In the course of the last three years, Makedonski Telekom not only completed all the necessary preparations, tests and measurements, but it also courageously undertook a huge investment venture worth EUR 45 million for the modernization of the radio access network and the introduction of 5G. We worked on site intensively with our partner Ericsson and at the moment one third of our network is already prepared for providing 5G services. Under the assumption that the AEC will soon publish a tender for using 5G frequencies, we are prepared to start offering 5G services at the very beginning of next year. It is realistic to expect that by the middle of next year two thirds of the population living in the larger urban areas will have a possibility to use our 5G services.

It is an entire year prior to the expectations recorded in the national broadband strategy. We conducted all tests transparently and publicly in front of the media. We cooperated intensively with eminent specialized institutions, the academic community and the AEC as the market regulator. The transparency and the joint approach will have a major role in the proper development of the new technologies.

So, is the 5G network harmful or not?

- The official position of the World Health Organization based on the researches gathered thus far is that there is no convincing evidence that the weak signals from the base stations and the wireless networks cause any negative health effects, provided they are kept below a certain limit.

This is a question for the regulators and for the scientific community, even though safety is also our top priority. What would our future be like if we operated unsafely? Sooner or later it will come out and at that very moment not only will the operators lose their ability to function, but they will also completely lose their sustainability. The measurements regarding the safety of non-ionizing radiation conducted by the AEC on our test network in 2019 are publicly available and they show that the overall radiation is only 15% of the maximum allowed threshold.

Transparency and education are pivotal in this respect as well. We should talk more on this topic in order to understand what 5G is and how it functions. The fifth generation network, as any other more sophisticated equipment, radiates less than 4G. Thence, the regular mobile phones radiate more than 5G at the moment. If it were harmful for the health, having regard that mobile phones have been an intrinsic part of our lives for years now, there would be many more sick people by now, which is not the case.

Why are there so many dilemmas in terms of the 5G technology if it denotes such advancement? Is it because of the business interests of the large corporations or the fear of something new?

- Each new technology brings a dose of distrust, which is quite normal and not to be judged. The same happened also with electricity and the steam machine. However, last year, in the peak of the pandemic, this resistance got a completely new dimension. Why? The pandemic occurred at a time when everything is connected which, on the one hand, is good, but on the other hand, it created a fruitful ground for spreading rumours and conspiracy theories. While the world was in lockdown and it faced an unknown, invisible enemy, we were all seeking answers as to why and how? These prerequisites facilitated the spreading of fake news (mainly through the social media) regarding the connection of the 5G technology with the coronavirus, without any scientific facts.

Thus, in addition to the health pandemic, we also faced a disinformation pandemic. However, the fear of progress and technology is irrational. We should fight against fake news and consult verified sources of information. Even more so, we should bring back the trust in science and progress. I am not saying that we should accepting everything that is new without putting any thought into it, but we should certainly refrain from unconditionally trusting rumours.

Should we fear artificial intelligence and the merger of digital possibilities into the biological systems?

- Every revolution, every great progress, brings about a positive and a negative potential. Artificial intelligence and biotechnology will transform the world, but it all depends on the manner in which we use them. There are two scenarios ahead of us: we either use technology in order to create a more humane inclusive society or complete totalitarianism. Therefore, I do not see the threat in artificial intelligence itself which could, just like in many sci-fi novels and films, turn against us and attack mankind.

The greatest threat is precisely mankind. If we allow the power of technology to lay in the hands of only a few privileged people, we are threatened by the adverse scenario. Therefore, we should not fear progress, but rather work consciously and conscientiously on the progress ethics. We, as mankind, need this technology in order to tackle some of the major challenges of today. The world population is growing at an enormous rate every year; environmental disasters have already become everyday phenomena. Only with the help of technology will we be able to produce enough food, ensure health protection and, concurrently, prevent the climate change. Artificial intelligence can also be used for early detection of various diseases and for autonomous military robots, it can help us live longer and have better quality lives, but it can also deprive us of our privacy. That is why we need ethics, i.e. rules about the responsible use of technology, now more than ever.

How can we protect ourselves from the abuse of such technological development, which we are witnessing even as we speak?

- The manner of regulating the power of technology is a global issue and it is one of the major challenges. This is a matter of collective responsibility of the political leaders, the corporations, the scientists, the non-governmental organizations, the economic leaders, the social life stakeholders, the educators...

One the one hand, we should create an artificial intelligence system that will operate in an ethical manner and express our will, and yet, on the other hand, that system should be available as widely as possible so that as many people as possible feel its benefits. It is very important to develop these frames and principles at the very inception, in the early stages of development. Transparency will also play a great role. It means that patents and researches should be open, publicly available, we should initiate discussions, we should conduct all indispensable measurements in advance, we should be open for debates, remain alert, curious and active. The road we are taking is completely clear, but we should all work together – all the stakeholders in society – and do that as soon as possible.

5g мрежа интервју

Digitalization of society - what does it mean?

- The term digitalization is something that we come across on a daily basis, it is used in many different manners and it is interpreted and understood differently. Digital transformation does not only stand for the internet and websites; it is a comprehensive process of introducing digital technologies in all spheres of living and working, whereby the entire society will be utterly transformed. It will cover the following spheres: health, agriculture, communications, administrative processes, etc. In terms of digital transformation, a major role will be played by the new technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and artificial intelligence. However, digitalization, in addition to a technological change, also constitutes a cultural one in which we will have to radically alter our processes and habits, change ourselves as well, adjust to the changes and develop.

Once again we will refer to the assertion that a key factor in making this transformation happen is mankind. The pandemic has accelerated digitalization even more and changes came about quite abruptly. We should be prepared to not only implement this change, but to also accept it. Changes will occur in the education, the labour market, the way of conducting business... Some businesses and job positions will disappear, while completely new ones will appear – therefore, we will have to adjust, learn new skills, become digitally literate and continue learning. Certainly, we will start with small steps. For instance, last year we hardly managed to achieve 30% electronic billing transactions via the internet or a mobile application due to the crisis and the recommendations for social distancing. In the other European countries this percentage is twice as high.

Makedonski Telekom is a part of the consortium that is implementing the Smart City Skopje project. What will this mean for the citizens of Skopje?

- Smart cities are an integral part of the digital transformation and they are based on the Narrowband Internet of Things technology, which affirms our market leadership. This technology offers a huge potential, which will become even greater, especially with the arrival of the new technologies, such as 5G.

The citizens will get the most benefits: a better city infrastructure, safer streets, regulated traffic and parking, more efficient use of resources, reduction of CO2 emissions in the air, a generally higher quality life and a healthier environment... For example, in the morning when you go to work, instead of searching for a parking space, you will be able to see if there are any vacant parking spaces in the parking lots via an application and thus save on time, as well as contribute for a reduction of harmful gases emissions in the air. Via the interactive mobile application My Skopje, the citizens will have access to the applications and services of the city institutions and in the future they will be able to report infrastructural and utility problems, as well as actively participate in the city life with their proposals. The technological platform has been ensured, it is up to the city to adequately manage it with the involvement of the citizens.

It has been said that this project will also contribute to the air quality. How?

- One of the crucial benefits from Smart City is the reduction of the CO2 emission in the air, which means cleaner air and a healthier environment. For instance, through the smart lighting system, 10 000 smart lights have been installed in Skopje. These lights are eco-friendly, easy to recycle and have a great life expectancy and high energy efficiency. They are monitored via a software application, which means that they are intensified or dimmed, as well as turned on and off, in line with the weather conditions and the period of day or night.

Let’s say that late at night there is no movement along the streets, so the lights will be turned off; if the sensors detect any movement, they will be turned on again. Furthermore, all defects will be detected via real time monitoring. It will all contribute for reducing the electric energy consumption by more than 60% in just one year, which will automatically reduce the CO2 emission in the air. Another example is the better traffic regulation, which is one of the burning issues in Skopje, through the smart parking system, whereby instead of driving for a long time through the city while searching for a parking spot, you will go directly to a vacant parking space, thus reducing the CO2 emissions in the air... It will take much more in order to fully resolve the problem of air pollution, but this technology will have a positive impact in the resolution of this major issue in Skopje.

Your partner in this project is Verso Altima Group from Croatia. How did you start the cooperation with this company?

- As the leader of the consortium, we conducted an in-depth market research pursuant to the tender requirements, but also pursuant to the technological trends in the Deutsche Telekom Group. Consequently, the analyses indicated which companies will offer a competitive solution that will fully meet the requirements posed by the City of Skopje and that will be possible to be implemented successfully and within the defined timeframe. Thus, we came to the cooperation with the Croatian company Verso and the Macedonian company Vint. The project is in a successful final stage of implementation, before the deadline, and all consortium members have fully met their obligations.

In strategic terms, are there any plans for connecting all cities in Macedonia?

- Skopje is the largest, but not the only city in Macedonia which has smart solutions. Smart City is a strategic project of Telekom and for several years now we have been working also in other municipalities in Macedonia. In Makedonska Kamenica, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Vasilevo and Kriva Palanka we implemented smart city platforms and smart lighting systems and the respective benefits can already be felt. In Makedonska Kamenica, the daily saving goes up to a high 85% and it comprises not only financial savings and repurposing of funds, but also a substantial reduction of CO2.

Nevertheless, the smart city platform is much more than just smart lighting. Once it is installed, it offers a huge potential for adding new elements, depending on the local needs of the citizens and the community. We are moving forward in other municipalities as well, our strategy being to use technology for a better quality of life and sustainable development.

What is the plan of Makedonski Telekom in terms of the digitalization in Macedonia?

- It is our strategic commitment to be a digitalization partner of society and we have been working on this for many years now, with investments worth millions in a stabile network infrastructure with advanced security solutions. This is essential for the adoption of the Cloud First policy, i.e. transferring the entire operation on Cloud. This platform took us forward and enabled us to make huge steps towards digitalization, such as smart cities. Another, yet very important prerequisite are the digital identification services, i.e. digital identity, without which it will be impossible to deliver the required service digitally.

The successful application of these services also contributes for the growth of the gross domestic income, which would make an enormous difference for Macedonia in just a few years. We issue digital certificates, but the percentage of use is still low. We are fully prepared to be a digitalization partner in the main segments which are the pillars of the state: health, education, agriculture... At the same time, while working on digitalization, it is very important to also work equally on a sustainable, innovative and competitive society and on reducing the digital gap, which is a part of our strategy.

Only an advanced digital society can attract investors and strengthen the economy; it is the only way to stride forward and we are ready.

Interview

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