What Is The Future Of The Telecommunications Industry?

The future of the industry is simple. Look at what hasLet’s take this analogy one step further and
happened over the last say 2 years.....we have had andeduce the future of telecommunications. If computing
outstanding amount of devices and applicationsis embedded in everything and connectivity becomes
directed towards being able to connect with others.everywhere, then we can imagine a world in which
If its going to be wireless vs wireline then its wirelesscommunication devices are less visible and information
hands down. But going deeper in to that I will have toflows less intrusively.
say that the future will not be in just cell phones orIf we look at telecommunication, the primary intent has
BlackBerry's or the iphone. I think you have to lookbeen to communicate across a distance.
deeper into it, think of a world with readers, tablets etcFrom just standalone voice and data communication,
...... but at the same time being able to still connect yourthe industry has over the past few years evolved to
ever day life into these devices. The industry isprovide communication backbone for multimedia -
evolving and a wind of change is coming too.voice, data, image and video.
The telecommunication industry will go to anotherTo do so the initial battle between, wired (copper and
NEW ERA with new high speed data servicesoptical) and wireless (multiple technologies), cable has
enabled by LTE/WiMax/IMS, IP end-to-end. For thenow become a driver for convergence and
end-users it will mean more information to exchange,coexistence.
for the operators more money to make, and for theThe business will be driven by the value that is
equipment vendors (Infrastructure/handset..) it will meanavailable through seamless connectivity. It is very likely
more complex equipment to design and deploy.that connectivity will be taken for granted in fact like
Welecome to the information age.any commodity could become free (see the cost of
The ex IBM CEO, Louis Gerstner, was asked oncevoice communication going southward).
about the future of computing. He gave a veryDifferent industries like health care (seamless access
interesting analogy as a means to answer theand connectivity for health care), entertainment (
question. He said .... before the invention of the electricalmobile access to movies, music and games), financial
motor, factories used to have steam engine roomsinstitutions (secure and mobile access to money
outside the plant with shafts connected to thetransactions, shares), manufacturing (seamless access
machinery inside. After the invention of the electricalto the supply chain) would drive telecom technologies
motor, all machines have their motors embedded inand solutions.
them.The requirement of seamless access would vary
He said .... in today's world, there are computersfrom very small distances (the tele part of
everywhere serving specific functions. In the future, hetelecommunication) to across the globe would be
predicted, computing capabilities will be embedded inanother driver.
everything from clothes and wall paints all the way toSo these are exciting times for any one who can
big robots and apparatus. I don't recall if he specificallycreate innovative that provide tangible benefits to the
mentioned nano technology as the enabler for thisend user who now has access to varied options of
evolution. But I believe it is.multi media connectivity.