Following a year full of unexpected and unprecedented challenges, we can expect to see some exciting developments within the telecom industry in 2021. The pandemic hasaccelerated the rate of digital transformation across industries, and telecom is no exception. Telecom organizations will continue to invest heavily in telecom automation technologies. 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) will lead the telecom automation charge, allowing providers to offer innovative new services while improving operational efficiency and reducing costs. Secure Access Service Edge solutions will play an important role in an economy that increasingly relies on remote work models. And Network Functions Virtualization will provide scalable and cost-effective network solutions.
Telecom's 5G future
Last year, Gartner forecasted that 5G network infrastructure market revenue would double in 2020 toreach $8.1 billion. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed investment growth rates a bit, but Gartner anticipates that rates will rebound in 2021. Communication service providers (CSPs) will seek to take advantage of an increased public reliance on communication networks. By 2023, Gartner estimates that 15% of CSPs will operate stand-alone 5G networks that do not rely on 4G technology.5G offers significant benefits, like reduced latency, cost reduction, increased capacity, and simultaneous device connectivity. 5G also expands internet coverage to areas that have historically lacked coverage options since signals are delivered wirelessly instead of DSL or cable, giving rural communities access to high-speed internet.More than that, 5G networks allow manufacturing and telecom organizations to take advantage of cutting-edge technologies like automation, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). In 2021, expect telecom providers to continue to find new ways to expand 5G offerings to the masses while organizations will seek to increasingly implement 5G technologies into their workflows.
Internet of Things
the Internet of Things (IoT) as a “network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.” With IoT, telecom industries can improve their processes and tap into new revenue streams. For example, experts estimate that IoT will generate an for mobile network operators by 2026.In terms of operations, telecom providers can leverage IoT technology in many ways, including:
