Significance of recent trends in IoT technology for telecom players
Recent decades have shown us that with the development of innovative technologies it becomes an absolute necessity for industries to keep up with the trends to thrive in the market. Telecom industry is no exemption in that regard. The segment which was primarily catering to the retail segment has now started its expansion as a digital service provider to enterprises and businesses which require additional efforts in terms of technology, infrastructure, systems etc. Thus, telecom players should readily start embracing these tech advancements either for their growth and transformation initiatives or for the improvements in operational efficiencies. Let’s discuss about how one such technology — Internet of Things (IoT) — is shaping up the industry.
Internet of Things
Briefly, IoT is a system that connects any device to the internet and to other connected devices. It forms a giant network of connected devices that continuously share data within the network. It uses sensors like microcontroller (MCU) devices to capture real-time data, transfers it to the cloud, performs data analysis and uses applications to revert to the user. Thus, the four major components for IoT system includes Sensors, Network, Cloud and Applications. By 2026, it’s expected that telecoms can get $1.8 trillion in revenue by tapping in the IoT services market4.
IoT in telecom
Telecom is an asset heavy industry with several internal operating systems and infrastructure which require real-time monitoring and it has direct impact on the customers who use the service. Also, as discussed, Telecom companies are competing for enterprise service provision which would unlock great opportunities with technologies like IoT. It’s also advantageous for Telecom players to implement or provide IoT services because it’s self-sufficient for its network requirements. To understand IoT’s impact in telecom let’s look at the key requirements of the telecom player, and how IoT would cater to those requirements and the role played by IT players.
Key Requirements of Telecom Players
a. Operational Efficiency and Asset Management
· Telecom players would need to maintain the complex workflows and back-end Operating and Business Support systems (OSS/BSS) along with the infrastructure through device management capabilities.
· Cell towers use several support equipment like energy meters, generators, UPS etc. along with core telecom equipment. Equipment failure should be monitored real-time to not compromise on 24/7 uptime.
b. Integrated digital services
· In its Enterprise offerings, Telecom companies offer services like Logistics Management, Smart homes, Fleet management, Warehouse management, Smart city, Energy tracking etc. to the corporates, and retail customers. These services would need continuous monitoring of connected devices.
c. Cloud transformation and Data Analytics
· With the growing user base, global penetration, changing Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and flexible storage requirement, the Telecom players would need a structured cloud infrastructure technology.
· Telecom players would need to deep dive into device, customer data, and application analytics. From customer perspective, they’d need comprehensive analytics insights of the service performance, user engagement, SLAs and other broad data captured.
IoT’s role in Telecom Industry
Remote Monitoring
IoT helps in real-time monitoring of tower equipment. IoT powered tower operations could integrate on-site IoT devices to cloud and collect and analyze data and could track key performance indicators of machines in remote sites, reduce maintenance costs by preventive/predictive maintenance, and improve operational performance. It could help track and maintain OSS solutions and integrate with Next-gen cloud solutions.
Digital Solutions
There are multiple ground-breaking use cases of IoT in digital solution space including smart buildings, healthcare, connected machines, smart cities, retail, manufacturing industries etc. It could enhance the service offering of telecom players providing these solutions to industries.
Cloud Strategy
IoT plays a crucial role in cloud integration and migration strategy. IoT helps in real-time data capture and transfer the data to cloud for storage or analytics purpose. It helps to provide better customer experience, modernize the existing infrastructure and to incorporate data analytics, AI/ML in the overall process. Cloud providers alone wouldn’t be able to provide customized best-of-breed IoT capabilities to the telecom players. Thus, IoT helps to internalize the core competencies of telecom companies aligned with the business, to integrate with the cloud.
Leverage low-power NB-IoT
The connectivity requirements for connected cars which require low latency need not be the case for hourly monitoring of machines which would work with low power, low-cost and low bandwidth connection. Thus, Telecom players could leverage tech like NB-IoT, and other radio-based, less power-consuming WAN (LP-WAN) for those requirements. These could help telecom players to create more revenue generating opportunities at less cost.
IT players’ role in this transformation
1. Integrated Framework for Platform Integration
A lack of unified IoT framework for platform is a major challenge telecom industry is facing. A common shared platform to strategize the IoT implementation targeting the business KPIs could be provided by the IoT platforms of the IT players like TCS’ TCUP platform. Verizon’s Thing Space, AT&T’s Asset Management Operation Center (AMOC) are few examples of the proactive implementation of their own platform.
2. Customized Architecture for individual business needs
Telecom players have different business strategies and motives. A single consolidated IoT framework architecture might not serve the customized needs of the businesses. IT players, with their expertise, could help in redesigning the overall framework as per the business models like SaaS, PaaS, and BaaS.
3. Cloud Services Infrastructure and Edge Computing
Cloud forms the backbone of the overall IoT framework. Data Analytics and insights are provided by the in-built applications in the cloud. IT players could leverage this experience in Cloud Management to provide Managed Services to the telecom companies. Also, with the developments in technologies like Edge Computing, which would be a game-changer in IoT space, reducing the time for analytics to keep AI/ML closer to the data capturing system, IT players could play a major role.
References
1. Internet of Things (IoT): A game changer for telecom industry — Tele-Talk by Rishi Mohan Bhatnagar | ET Telecom. (2021). Retrieved 1 May 2021, from https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/tele-talk/internet-of-things-iot-a-game-changer-for-telecom-industry/2243
2. 4 Ways IoT Will Impact the Telecom Industry — Intraway Blog | Think Incredible. (2021) from https://www.intraway.com/blog/4-Ways-IoT-Impact-Telecom-Industry/
3. Connor Craven; How are Telcoms Using the Internet of Things (IoT) (2021). from https://www.sdxcentral.com/5g/iot/definitions/telecom-using-iot/
4. Boris Shiklo; How IoT Impacts the Telecom Industry (2020) from https://www.scnsoft.com/blog/iot-for-telecoms
5. How IoT can impact the telecom industry | IoT in telecom |. (2021). Retrieved 1 May 2021, from https://www.allerin.com/blog/how-iot-can-impact-the-telecom-industry
