In 2025, the ICT landscape is set to be shaped by advancements in connectivity, data management, automation, and immersive experiences. To truly pinpoint the industry’s expected trajectory, Telecom Review evaluated the industry’s pulse based on the progress made in 2024 and the evident trends that could dominate the upcoming year.
Intersection of Trends
We have heard about, and seen, the massive advancements in various technologies this year, including 5G, cloud, AI, automation, data analytics, and augmented reality (AR). These trends co-exist and correlate with each other in terms of usage, benefits, and impact on society overall.
The interplay of connectivity, data, automation, and immersive experiences represents the backbone of today's digital transformation. Connectivity acts as the enabler, ensuring seamless access and interaction between devices, people, and platforms globally while data management tools optimize the vast amounts of information generated by connected systems.
Similarly, automation leverages connectivity and data to perform repetitive tasks efficiently, reducing human intervention and enhancing productivity. Immersive experiences (like AR, VR, and the metaverse) depend on all three—fast and reliable connectivity, well-structured data, and automated processes—to deliver real-time, engaging, and personalized interactions.
Advanced Connectivity
By 2025, 5G, and the 5G-Advanced evolution, will be more widely implemented and integrated into industries like healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and smart cities, supporting ultra-low latency applications like autonomous vehicles (AVs) and telemedicine.
In 2023, industry leaders joined hands to announce 2024 as the first year of the 5G-Advanced era in the Middle East. Scheduled for global launch in 2025, 5G-Advanced is poised to become the next generation of mobile connectivity. It promises enhanced capacity, improved mobility, and tailored connectivity, creating the foundation needed for new market opportunities on a greater scale. Among the cornerstones of 5G-Advanced is network sustainability and the introduction of new AI capabilities.
Nokia research revealed that 60% of CSPs in the MEA region are adopting 5G to enhance their digital transformation while Juniper Research predicts that there will be 30 million vehicles globally with embedded 5G connectivity by 2025. As embedded 5G connectivity becomes more prevalent in vehicles, it is anticipated that 25% of cellular data generated by vehicles will be attributable to 5G-capable vehicles by the same year.
Moreover, although 6G is expected around 2030, early R&D is already shaping its standards and roadmaps. 6G’s potential to enable extreme bandwidth (up to 100 times faster than 5G), holographic communication, and advanced AI processing at the network edge is drawing early interest from telecom companies and governments.
In 2025, the competition in the internet space race will also intensify, with satellite transmission technology emerging as a beacon of hope for billions still lacking reliable, if any, access to the internet.
In a global telco-focused 2025 survey, 60% of the respondents affirmed that connectivity is a major priority in life as it helps them reach those closest to them. In the future, unlimited connectivity will become a given, enabling life-enhancing services like AI-powered home hubs integrated with the IoT.
Watch the Virtual Panel Highlights: Tech Heads Engage in Stimulating Discussion on 5G-Advanced
Smarter Data Management
According to a 2024 AI and ML study, 18% of organizations have fully integrated generative AI (GenAI) across their operations. However, poor data quality remains a leading cause of AI project failures, underscoring the critical need for robust data management practices.
As data increases rapidly across on-premises data centers, multiple clouds, and edge devices, organizations demand more flexible management solutions; thus, innovative architectures like data fabrics address this complexity by seamlessly integrating disparate data sources into a unified framework.
In 2025, edge computing will continue to transform data processing by bringing it closer to the source of the data, improving response times and optimizing network resources. Industries such as logistics, manufacturing, and fieldwork, are expected to benefit the most as they demand real-time data processing.
Cloud-native data management will also gain momentum, driven by the need for agile, resilient strategies that support remote work and real-time analytics. With this in mind, Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) is emerging as a game-changer by providing on-demand cloud access to data and simplified data management process.
For non-technical users, low-code and no-code platforms are democratizing data integration by allowing them to connect, transform, and manage data effortlessly. Simultaneously, AI algorithms are enhancing modern data management by enabling advanced data classification and uncovering patterns within large datasets—tasks that are often beyond human capacity.
By 2025, in-memory databases will further streamline data handling, offering scalable, enterprise-level solutions that support rapid deployment. Miniaturizing big data (a notable trend) will also provide greater flexibility, enabling companies to tailor infrastructures to specific needs while optimizing costs.
The Automation Era
With the first robotaxis using Level-4 autonomous driving systems now in use in several cities, other carmakers are planning to launch their Level-3 and Level-4 autonomous driving systems in various countries in 2025. These autonomous vehicles are dependent on excellent wireless connectivity—both mobile and satellite—to keep the cars and their passengers safe and provide them with near-real-time data.
With all the hype around AI this year, in 2025, this technology is expected to play an enhanced role in optimizing automated processes and helping businesses to reduce costs, increase productivity, and enhance customer experience. This aligns with estimations that, in 2030, as much as 30% of current work hours could be automated and human specializations will focus more on areas that AI cannot solve.
GenAI can automate tasks such as data cleaning, pattern recognition, and content generation, thereby freeing up human expertise for higher-level analysis, interpretation, and innovation. A 2024 report by Accenture corroborates that most organizations view GenAI as a pathway to greater innovation, aligning the technology with broader business goals to enhance efficiency and foster innovation.
As data grows in complexity and volume, businesses are turning to more automated solutions for data governance. By leveraging AI and machine learning, autonomous data governance streamlines manual tasks related to data quality, security, and compliance. This approach allows organizations to scale their governance processes efficiently while minimizing costs and human errors.
Additionally, the fusion of data analytics and automation is set to become a standard across all layers of data infrastructure. This integration enhances data management capabilities and maximizes value for end users, driving better decision-making and operational efficiency.
The introduction of 5G in industrial automation will also be accelerated, accompanied by a push for the development of smart factories and industrial use cases in the coming years. Hyperautomation will take business process automation to the next level, with special consideration for cost reduction and interoperability.
2025 will be pivotal for integrating robots, digital systems, and human endpoints. Analysts foresee GenAI and edge intelligence driving robotics projects, blending cognitive and physical automation, while developers are forecast to create GenAI-powered automation apps.
Immersive Realities
Immersive technology bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds, offering users highly engaging experiences. Core technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR), and mixed reality (MR) facilitate interactions that feel genuinely real—either through fully immersing the user in a virtual environment or blending digital elements seamlessly into physical spaces.
AR and VR have revolutionized B2B customer experiences, especially remote support and technical workflows, offering precision and efficiency. Meanwhile, digital twins (virtual replicas of physical assets) are set to dominate industrial automation by 2025. Paired with the rising adoption of wearable devices like AR smart glasses and VR headsets, these innovations will redefine industrial and commercial operations.
The rollout of 5G technology has also been a game changer, enabling the ultra-fast data speeds and low latency essential for AR and VR applications. This ensures smoother, more immersive interactions, particularly for real-time VR experiences. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming XR by enhancing real-time data processing, creating adaptive, intelligent environments that respond dynamically to users.
Looking ahead to 2025, immersive technology will likely converge with emerging trends like edge computing and the metaverse. The future promises deeper integration of these tools into everyday workflows, further blurring the line between what’s real and what’s possible.
Also Read: World Usability Day 2024: ICT's Role in Designing for a Better World
