Before the appearance of the Internet and other data networks, telecommunications had a clear meaning: the telephone. An application of technology that allowed people to communicate remotely by voice.
Telecommunications have undergone major changes in the last 50 years, both in terms of technology and its implications for the structure of the sector. The biggest change has been in the architecture of telecommunications networks. Previously, PSTN, cable and data networks coexisted as separately owned and operated networks, carrying different types of communications, although they often shared a common technological base, such as point-to-point digital communications. The biggest change in the latest networks is that they are integrated, which means that all media increasingly communicate over a single common network. This integration provides economies of scale, both in terms of capital expenditure and operating costs, and also allows different media to be mixed in common applications.
The integration of all these media allows technology suppliers and service providers to develop their activity in all media simultaneously, instead of specializing in a specific type, such as voice, video or data.
In addition to the impact on suppliers and service providers, telecommunications have an enormous importance in societies, reflected in their use. Communication plays a central role in the fundamental operations of society - from business to government to families. During a global pandemic, telecommunications were the only way for families and coworkers to communicate. Without video calls or instant messaging, people would be totally isolated. Telecommunications enable participation and development. They play an increasingly vital role in the participation and development of people in communities, allowing companies to work remotely and keep the business running.
To ensure flexibility and meet the current and future needs of societies, new telecommunications solutions are getting started being described as platforms. Today, the platform economy will affect all companies in all sectors.
Telecom networks play a key role in the digital economy, as their assets and data support emerging sectors such as smart cities, smart homes and connected cars. An open telecommunications platform creates new opportunities and improves competitiveness in the digital economy.
By aggregating consumers and producers through an ecosystem, telecoms can improve performance and distribute innovation. The main value of a digital platform is to take advantage of service offerings from a diverse base of suppliers and then be able to use shared orchestration, monetization and administration tools to offer new service packages. Digital platforms harness the experience, participation and data of all users - customers, suppliers, partners, developers - to create innovative new solutions for the markets.
The latest telecom solutions use IoT (Internet of Things), as this technology allows telecom companies to play an active role in a diverse ecosystem of technology providers and specialists in vertical domains, beyond mere connectivity. However, considering the scope and breadth of IoT opportunities, telecom platforms face the main challenge: service orchestration - a hierarchical architecture that coordinates and manages systems spanning multiple vendors and cloud domains.
Service orchestration reduces the time needed to design and deploy new services and makes it possible to provide services in real time.
Another emerging technology in the telecommunications sector is Edge Computing, used to modernize networks and look for new sources of revenue. Specifically, service providers are moving workloads and services from the core network to the edge of the network, to points of presence and central offices. One of the main benefits of edge computing is that it reduces the effects of latency on applications, allowing new applications and services to be added to the network and improving the experience of existing applications, especially following advances in 5G.
As telecommunications service providers develop platforms and services that can exploit the connectivity of edge computing, their customers can be better prepared in areas such as healthcare, emergency response, manufacturing efficiency, traffic congestion and industrial safety.
The latest telecommunications solutions can be applied as a set of technological solutions or as a total digital transformation.
