According to the latest statistical analysis by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), the share of people's incomes spent on fixed broadband and mobile Internet services increased globally last year, in parallel with upticks in demand and usage compared to 2020.

Read more: Internet connectivity became less affordable in 2021

The Malaysian government is sticking to its plan of deploying 5G through a single wholesale network (SWN). In a joint statement from the ministries of finance and communications and multimedia, up to 70% equity in the wholly state-owned 5G company, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), will be available to telcos.

Read more: Malaysia confirms utilizing SWN model for 5G implementation

The IoT and cloud marriage seems almost perfect; however, the integration between the two is something that telcos need to consider to help enterprises and consumers take advantage of Industry 4.0 capabilities such as real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and autonomous operations of vehicles and equipment to explore new revenue stream opportunities.

Read more: IoT cloud strategy for telcos

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and mobile network operators (MNOs) are facing huge 5G investment decisions over the next few years, especially when it comes to strategizing for the cloud. Modern network infrastructure solutions must support CSPs to build and deploy open, cloud-native networks faster with lower cost and complexity. The development of both private and public clouds has created a huge expansion in co-location facilities and internet exchanges, where enterprises and cloud providers can easily connect from a unified center. Moreover, 5G and edge deployment will receive a boost from cloud-native technology with greater choice and agility to accelerate new connectivity and service options.

Read more: Solutions for evolving multi-cloud set up

In recent years, the introduction of 5G connectivity in the Middle East’s telecommunications market has thrived and local industries are increasingly looking to digitization to gain a competitive advantage in their operations. With this, the future of 5G network design has come under question as deliberations continue on open radio access networks (Open RAN), and what this model could mean for operators, telecom vendors, and end-users.

Read more: Open RAN network model demands further assessment from operators

A financial revolution is taking place around the globe, with telecom companies among the significant players thriving in the financial technology (fintech) space. The shift to digital is set to be permanent, as financial services and payments are now powered by mobile phones, providing access to new data, embracing technological innovations, and changing mindsets of users.

Read more: Modern transactions: Telcos + fintech revolution

More Articles ...