NFV Deployment Tracker: Global review and update
SDN and NFV deployment is growing deeper but not broader: the long tail lags behind the pioneers.
Research
Defining the future telco — and what it means for operators and their partners
5G: Why Verizon thinks differently – and what to do about it
The US operator is an enthusiastic proponent and strong early backer of 5G. Why, what does it know that is different from the norm and what should other telcos do about it?
Uber and Tesla: What telcos should do
Uber and Tesla are at the forefront of a new age of personal transportation in which wireless connectivity will play a major role. Both of these disruptors could be important partners for telcos, while offering lessons about consumer engagement, relationships with regulators and strategic thinking.
5G: ‘Just another G’ – yet a catalyst of change
Our predictions for 5G, based on our assessment of the opportunities and barriers it faces, including how and when it will impact different markets. Combined with other technologies and industry trends, 5G will change the shape of the industry, but not in the way that many expect.
Telco 2.0: Choose your future – while you still can
All telcos know they need to change. We believe the defining characteristic of those that will grow most is a clear focus on where and how they can create value beyond connectivity. This report lays out the two viable paths forward, and six steps all telcos must take in this new version of the Telco 2.0 vision.
Blockchain for telcos: Where is the money?
In this report, we outline the potential roles and business models for telcos in blockchain ecosystems for digital identity and IoT, building on examples of how companies are already using blockchain to create value.
RCS: Walking the commerce tightrope
Can the partnership between Google and telcos strike the balance between interoperability and speed of development needed to challenge Facebook and Tencent in conversational commerce?
Will a big bet on banking pay for Orange – and other telcos?
The launch of Orange Bank in November 2017 begs the question as to whether other telcos should also be pushing much deeper into financial services, as new regulation and the rise of smartphones disrupt traditional banking.
NFV Deployment Tracker: Asia takes the lead
This update to our ‘NFV Deployment Tracker’ series focuses on Asia-Pacific, alongside European and North American data to March 2018. Telcos in developed Asian markets have made a great start, and the region has outstripped Europe and North America in live SDN / NFV deployments – but can NFV scale to Asia as a whole?
Can Netflix and Spotify make the leap to the top tier?
What the leading on-demand entertainment specialists – Netflix and Spotify – will need to do the mount a serious challenge to GAFA in the top tier of Internet platforms and how telcos can help them make the online world more competitive.
BBVA: Traditional retail bank embraces digital disruption
Retail banks are threatened by a new breed of focused and fast digital firms – fintech – that offer cheaper and more tailored financial services. BBVA management saw this threat early and acted decisively to ensure it remained competitive. Telcos have much to learn from this.
MWC 2018: Desperately seeking a business case
IoT, 5G, edge computing and AI showed they were maturing as technologies at MWC 2018, but it’s harder to see yet how the first three make much money for telcos. AI has a different problem: the field is developing so fast that best practice is changing all the time. In this report we outline what we found, and a pragmatic approach for telcos to successfully harness these technologies and create value beyond connectivity.
Indoor wireless: A new frontier for IoT and 5G
Indoor wireless coverage is essential to many IoT and 5G use-cases, but it’s also horribly difficult to achieve. With new entrants and changing user demands the power dynamics are shifting, and operators need to make strategic decisions now to avoid losing their stake in this market.
Telco economics: The price of loyalty
Achieving greater customer loyalty is important for telecoms operators, but often difficult to realise. We look at operators that have proved successful in achieving low levels of customer churn including O2, Telstra and TELUS, and identify practices that have played a key part in their success.
AI in customer services: It’s not all about chatbots
There’s no doubt that AI is a transformative technology, and chatbots are a focus for many telcos looking to benefit from it. We look at case studies from Telenor, Deutsche Telekom and AT&T to find telcos’ best path toward employing AI. Despite the hype, chatbots may not be the best first step.
AR/VR: Won’t move the 5G needle
Virtual reality and augmented reality have the potential to generate vast amounts of telecoms traffic, together with demand for edge computing, network slicing and other 5G capabilities. But when will these technologies come of age?
NFV Deployment Tracker – North America: SD-WAN tail wags NFV dog
This update to our ‘NFV Deployment Tracker’ series focuses on North America, alongside additional European data. 2016/7 has seen the rise of SD-WAN, enabling smaller operators to compete in the WAN market with NFV leaders AT&T, Verizon, Masergy, CenturyLink, etc. By contrast, fewer consumer use cases for NFV have yet been established.
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