According to Maslow’s theory, humans need only three basic things to survive: food, clothing and shelter. But today, as we progress and enter into the digital era, mobile (read- telecom) has become a self-extension for every person, it is equivalent to an umbilical cord, which even if cut, the connection remains.
The telecommunication industry is a part of the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure that is made up of companies and service providers who play an important role in the evolution of mobile communications and broadband. There’s a continuous infrastructure improvement taking place, as a result, the global telecommunications industry continues its transformation process and is growing leaps and bounds. Throughout 2016, the telecom companies strived to offer unmatched 4G service with LTE Advanced pro deploying new features such as higher levels of carrier aggregation and interference management, thereby providing faster data ensuring better performance at a lower price.
Even the telecom industry itself lives by the tagline, wherever you go, our network follows. This robust and dependable network will continue to follow us through 2017 as well. Additionally, there are newer things in store in terms of communications to look forward to this year as well.
What else could the telcos possibly bring to the table that’s new, you ask?
Here’s what might be in store for you.
1) Move Over 4G; Time to Bring Home 5G
Network providers are striving to make 5G a reality as soon as possible. Telcos around the world have already developed 5G architecture and have initiated the lab and field trials for the basic connectivity elements in their race to gain a competitive advantage in the market. The promise of 5G – more speed, greater efficiency and less latency- will be a major push for connected things in the future. It is expected to be an enabler of next generation IoT and M2M applications such as augmented reality and self-driven vehicles.
2) Over-The-Top and Value Added Services
The constantly growing competition from Over-the-top (OTT) players who offer apps and content streaming directly via the internet, will drive telecom companies and other service providers to partner with and become primary OTT solution providers in their own way so as to drive revenue, counterbalance the downward price pressures and build customer loyalty. This rise in operator-led OTT services will not only expand the market opportunities but also redirect a fraction of the global OTT spend back towards the network and service providers.
3) Security – On High Priority
The previous year was filled with news regarding data breaches in high end companies, with the latest one being the ransomware- WannaCry – attack that hit over 100 countries across the globe over desktops and mobile phones. This proves that the telecom companies will lay more emphasis on security, as they realize the increasing vulnerability of infrastructure linking networks to attacks. In 2017, network security will be top priority to operators, as encryption will transition from a niche play to a more pervasive technology.
The Infiniti Advantage
The IT and Telecommunications industry faces considerable changes that result in intense competition and continuous need for innovation. At Infiniti, we have a wide range of industry-leading solutions to help clients track key developments in these markets, adapt to changes and thereby ensuring they maintain a competitive advantage. These solutions along with our team of experts offer a comprehensive view of the market landscape, to help clients make effective business decisions, in order to grow, expand, diversify, tackle competition and mitigate risks.
To view an updated and more comprehensive version of this blog, visit: /thoughts/telecom-industry-2018
