Technology is changing the way telecommunications companies operate, the services they offer and the threats they face. These technologies require telecoms to adapt infrastructure, recruit new talent and build new processes. As we prepare to begin a new decade, here are the seven biggest technology trends that will transform telecoms in 2020.

1. The 7 Biggest
That Will Transform
Telecoms In 2020
Technology Trends

2. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
Text
IntroductionIntroduction
As we prepare to enter the next decade, telecoms are being transformed by
technology in a variety of ways. From artificial intelligence (AI) to the threat of
cyberattack, here are the 7 biggest technology trends that will transform
telecoms in 2020.
The 7 Biggest Technology Trends
That Will Transform Telecoms In 2020

3. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
5G
5G promises some dramatic changes. The European Union’s 5G action plan includes
uninterrupted 5G coverage by 2025 for railways and major roads. In addition to being able
to support a hundredfold increase in connected devices per each unit area, 5G will offer
ultra-low latency, improved data rates and enable network slicing. This opens the door for
new services, network operation and customer experience for telecom operators.
5G will change telecom's role: telecoms will not only be technology distributors, but also
service providers. This shift will require telecoms to engage with governments, enterprise
customers and alter their sales approach to help customers leverage the power of 5G.

4. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Telecommunications is one of the industries that use artificial intelligence in many aspects
of business today. Through virtual assistants and chatbots, and the artificial intelligence
that runs these tools behind the scenes, telecommunications companies improve
customer service and satisfaction. Artificial intelligence is essential for the optimization
and predictive maintenance of telecommunications companies’ networks. AI is also hard at
work detecting fraudulent activity. Additionally, through predictive analytics, artificial
intelligence makes it possible for telecoms to glean actionable business insights from the
volumes of data they gather every day.

5. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Internet of Things (IoT)
Because the telecom industry enables internet device connectivity it is one of the largest
players in the Internet of Things market, everyday items that are connected to one another
and the internet. Internet of Things technology helps telecoms monitor base stations and
data centres remotely. This helps ensure minimal downtime for the network. Since telecom
is so instrumental in providing IoT infrastructure, the industry is uniquely poised to
develop and offer their own services for IoT. Since IoT technology results in more devices
on the network there are more opportunities for security and privacy breaches to occur so
telecoms need to plan and prepare defences for that. While there are still a lot of
unknowns regarding the transformation IoT will have for telecoms, there’s little doubt that
it will disrupt the industry.

6. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Big Data
It’s undeniable that telecommunications companies are collecting and generating volumes
of data from mobile devices and apps, wearables and more—wireless data is expected to
continue to increase through the 2020s—but it will be the companies that use it to their
competitive advantage that will survive. Telecommunications companies need to ensure
that their networks can move extraordinary amounts of data through their network
efficiently and continue to support new technologies. Telecoms also need to address the
new security challenges that have arisen with new technology that use their networks.
Ultimately, the data that telecoms collect can be analysed to improve customer service,
determine and evaluate new products, as well as monitor and optimize the network. When
evaluated and acted upon, big data can help telecoms build a stronger business.

7. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Robotic process automation can take over repetitive, rules-based, high-frequency
processes and complete them very accurately. When telecoms deploy RPA for tasks, error
rates and costs are reduced while customer service and operational efficiency are boosted.
The telecommunications industry has one of the highest adoption rates for RPA
technology since it seems to serve it so well. RPA offers high levels of scalability and agility
for telecoms and can take over many tasks such as report generation, responding to
customer questions, order processing, price tracking and more.

8. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing’s pay-per-use service model helps telecoms introduce new services,
reduce their costs and adjust to market demands more effectively. The cloud offers
economies of scale, scalability and cost effectiveness to telecoms. Not only can telecoms
be a cloud service provider, but they can use the cloud themselves. When telecoms adopt
cloud technology and switch important business functions to the cloud, they benefit from
the cloud’s efficiency.

9. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Cyber Security and Resilience
We take for granted the services that are enabled by telecoms including phone and video
calls, email and messaging until we experience an outage and realize how dependent we
are on those services. Due to telecoms storing vast amounts of sensitive data on complex
networks that act as gateways to other businesses and because they build and operate
critical infrastructure, telecoms are increasingly a target for cybercriminals. From direct
cyberattacks such as distributed denial of service to indirect attacks such as malware,
telecoms need to protect themselves and prepare for the future of 5G and the security
hurdles that will represent. This includes having not only the right IT infrastructure in place
but the talent and processes to support resiliency when attacked. Currently, there is room
for improvement to the industry’s response to a cyberattack. Even false claims of attack
can damage a telecom’s reputation, as well as create a considerable business impact in
terms of time and money spent to respond.

10. © 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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