Optimism for Telecoms in 2021... Despite the Challenges of 2020

The November release of the telecoms.com Annual Industry Survey has provided an interesting look across a range of crucial business lines across the telco industry including 5G progress, the state of fixed line broadband and operator sentiment regarding the challenges of 2020. There probably aren’t many businesses who haven’t been impacted by the pandemic, some industries certainly more than others, but as we reach the end of 2020, this survey sheds light on key thoughts and priorities currently being channelled into plans for 2021.

Despite the difficulty, the majority of the survey’s respondents have expressed a positive view for the upcoming year and are confident with how the industry has managed to weather the storm of this global situation. Lockdowns and changes to people’s work and social lives provided an intense stress test for operators as they looked to manage ever-changing behaviours and needs. With an uncertain year ahead, operators will likely be considering how to best-evolve their networks against an unprecedented demand for connectivity.

A key 2021 investment priority highlighted by the survey participants for 2021 somewhat unsurprisingly points to 5G. As of November 2020, 407 operators in 129 countries or territories are investing in 5G across trials, license acquisitions, planning, deployment and launches. In the UK for example, 5G coverage is now available in over 200 towns and cities with more on the way. As this connectivity extends, and consumers slowly transition to new, 5G capable devices, operators will need powerful insight and management capabilities to optimise their deployments and make data-driven decisions on future rollouts to maximise their investments.  

Metricell’s GIS capabilities are helping operators to visualise networks with a keen focus on data centralisation and collaboration between teams. This can help to manage activities such as planning, rollout, analysis and optimisation work, as well as visualise 5G data including coverage, expected speeds and more all within a single interface. If you would like to know more about how our tool can help to achieve your 5G goals, get in touch with us today!

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