RIYADH: As many as 2.7 billion people still need to be connected to the internet despite the world seeing massive development in technology, said a top official of SAMENA Telecommunications Council, an industry body of telecom operators. Speaking at the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh, Bocar Alpha, CEO and board member at SAMENA Telecommunications Council, said 46 percent of the world’s population still needs an internet connection. He added: “We have to bring the 2.7 billion people online by 2030. If we bring them online tomorrow, we may have to bring 27 billion devices into the network. It costs money.” Alpha stressed that the catalyst for the technology is to accelerate the implementation of the 5G network. “We went with the telecom operator perspective into a massive deployment in all countries, and 5G is a reality that has been deployed. The objective is connecting everyone, everything and everywhere,” he said. The CEO also pointed out that 5G technology was adopted and implemented by most Gulf countries a few years ago, adding that “the 5G is an environment that will enable any new technological development.” “If 2G is a small fish, 3G is a much bigger fish, 4G is a shark, and the 5G is the ocean. That’s the environment where we can have 2G, 3G, 4G together and as an enabler for all the digital technologies,” Alpha said. He said the 5G also is an environment that will support infrastructure development. “It’s meant primarily for airports, smart cities and other industries. If you want to move as a consumer from 4G to 5G, feel free to do. You will have a better download speed,” the CEO said. He also explained that the market is in the transition stage, from 5.5 to 6G, with the platform set to support other technological innovations. “Saudi Arabia made a great step forward last year by bringing a revolution in our region in terms of the spectrum auction process,” he said while adding that the next steps must be seamless. Alpha added: “In general, we need to discuss with regulators with our government to ensure that there is no value destruction.” He also stressed that there is a need to consider the sustainability of the investment.