Telenor Research published the key global Telco trends identified for 2016. With 60 percent of the global population, nearly half the world’s internet users and spotlights focused on some of the strongest emerging markets, these Telco trends are set to invariably have the “greatest effect” on Asia, it said.
According to Telenor, consumers are experiencing digitalization in many parts of their daily lives, from buying bus tickets with a mobile phone to monitoring heart rate or getting GPS directions – and the smartphone is at the centre of it all, particularly in a region boasting more than 1 billion smartphone users. The current digitization will transform all aspects of the Telco industry and the way consumers increasingly use and rely on mobile technology.
Telenor Research has identified six important trending areas- 2016 Telco Trends:
Customers will co-create services
Customers are increasingly digital savvy, demanding and empowered. This puts demands on companies to deliver superior digital customer experiences, and be more aligned with the customer’s changing behaviour than ever before. There has been a shift from companies defining their own services, to customers making their needs heard and translated into the market through active feedback. This year, the transition will be more evident.
Data for social good
Telecom big data will be used more in 2016 to tangibly help society – for the purpose of social good. As data develops, so does the capacity to use it to address and monitor issues such as health and safety. Big data currently is being created in just about everything we use and do. From phones, cars, business, infrastructure and much more –the constant accumulation of data will now will be finding applications to help society at large.
Softwarization
Networks as software rather than hardware will take off as technologies such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) will enable new ways of designing and operating networks.
Deep learning
This year has been marked as the phase that machines will understand more digital content as they get more deeply integrated into digital services and devices. Consumers will experience this through new services, better digital assistants, search results and suggestions, and more relevant ads.
More IoT services with LPWA
Future Internet of Things (IoT) devices need low cost and low power consuming networks. Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) networks will enable a future smart society with many new and exciting IoT services and platforms.
Levelling out the playing field
In 2016, governments and regulatory authorities will have to deal with an intensifying debate on how to adjust the traditional legal frameworks to the new competitive digital environment and a growing sharing economy.
Telenor Research is part of the Telenor Group. The group is one of the world’s major mobile operators with close to 200 million subscribers and 33,000 employees across 13 countries in Europe and Asia. In Malaysia, Digi is part of the Telenor Group.
[Download]– Telco 2016 trend analysis by Telenor Research
