Assessments of Challenging 5g Network Project Implementation: A Case Study of Ethio Telecom from Project Management Perspectives, With A Focus on Project Execution and Closing
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Date
2024-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Telecommunication projects have grown more complex with 5G, necessitating effective project management. Ethio Telecom, Ethiopia's national operator, aims to achieve nationwide 5G coverage by 2025. This ambitious project faces challenges such as technical issues, resource constraints, coordination difficulties, and regulatory hurdles. This mixed-methods case study evaluates Ethio Telecom’s 5G rollout, focusing on execution and closing stages. The study identifies challenges and influential factors through quantitative and qualitative analysis. Objectives include assessing challenges from literature and stakeholders, comparing planned versus actual performance on scope, schedule, budget, risk planning, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance; evaluating strategy effectiveness; and developing recommendations. A convergent parallel design integrates document reviews, surveys, and interviews. Ethio Telecom’s documentation is analyzed against success metrics. Surveys and interviews explore strategy implementation and stakeholder perceptions. The thematic analysis identifies key factors, while cross-analysis highlights data convergences and divergences. Descriptive statistics and thematic coding in SPSS provide comprehensive insights. Preliminary findings indicate execution delays due to spectrum constraints, site acquisition issues, vendor risks, resource gaps, and coordination complexities. The closing phases experienced delays in knowledge transfer, documentation, and sign-off processes, affecting ownership transition. Recommendations include strengthening controls through centralized governance, proactive risk planning, stakeholder engagement, and skills development. This research provides insights into 5G rollouts in developing markets, offering guidance to address project management gaps and support global digital inclusion.
Keywords: case study, challenges, closing, development, digital transformation, Ethiopia, execution, infrastructure, project management, strategies, 5G networks.