As the internet has grown to become an integral part of our lives, the telecom industry has continually innovated to keep up. We now have super-fast fibre broadband that can handle virtually any internet intensive activity with ease, as well as 5G internet that can provide internet on the go. Additionally, within telecom organisations, innovation has also taken place to ensure providers have the operational infrastructure to deliver this new technology. For example, operators are creating digital twins of their network that field and office teams can use to track and manage any network changes. Our reliance on the internet is continually growing, and telecom operators are constantly adapting to ensure they can handle the demand, says Raf Meersman, EMEA general manager, IQGeo.
While creating innovative technology is vital to match the demands of consumers and business customers, fibre operators should focus on the acceleration of their rollout efforts to get ahead of the competition. At the moment, only 37% of UK households have access to fibre broadband and the numbers in Germany are even lower, with 32 million households (almost 75%) still to be covered. Additionally, only half the UK are able to access the benefits of 5G internet. Operators should be focused on swiftly delivering high performance internet to increase market share and revenue.
This same sentiment also applies to technology deployments that can improve business operations. Weather-related disasters are on the rise and operators need to ensure strong network resilience to continually deliver on their promise of consistent, reliable internet. Innovation has created new business strategies that can increase network resilience and improve disaster response strategies, mitigating network downtime. Operators need to rapidly deploy this new technology to increase network dependability, reduce customer churn and secure long-term revenue targets.
Now is the perfect time to deploy the latest fibre technology. Due to the rising popularity of remote and hybrid working, many professionals including almost 84,000 London households chose to move out of cities into rural and suburban areas. This has created new markets for telecom operators to serve. On top of this, as the internet has grown and become so integral to our lifestyle, governments have set up initiatives to ensure all households have broadband access. For example, the UK government is striving for 95% of all households to have full-fibre broadband by 2025. With the backing of governments and new markets up for grabs, now is the time to focus on high-velocity deployment strategies. So, how do operators get started?
Problem solving is the key to success
Innovation has created great technology, but technology alone will not provide great service to customers. Those who switch tactics and focus on active problem solving will be the ones who customers can rely on in the future.
Telecom operators have everything they need to succeed: markets, technology and government support. Now is the time to move from ideas and innovation to actionable problem solving, starting the era of implementation.
There are three steps that can help operators shift focus from ideas to delivery:
- Cultivate a strong workforce
Workers are at the heart of every organisation, and for telecom operators to be successful, they need to have a strong workforce of both new and longstanding employees that can successfully use and implement new technologies and process workflows.
New technology has been the focus within the industry for a long time, but moving into the implementation phase, organisations can benefit from a shift to human-centric deployment. Operators need to ensure that employees are not thrown into the deep end with unproven technology, and instead have a chance to test and evaluate anything new so that they understand the value and how to optimise processes.
Additionally, as well as training existing employees on the latest technology, organisations need strategies for hiring and retaining new talent. According to McKinsey’s study on future workforce needs, 87% of organisations are either currently experiencing skill gaps, or are expecting to face this problem in the next five years. The study specifically calls out the telecom industry as having issues in this area. On top of this, the wider tech industry is experiencing increased difficulty hiring new talent. Mastering the hiring of new talent and the retention of existing employees will create a resilient and future-proof workforce.
One way to achieve this is by adapting to the new digital-native workforce, leveraging and enhancing their expectations and competencies. Digital maps, for example, can integrate all network data into a single view, and have the added bonus of catering to the strengths of Gen Z and millennials. By modernising business operations, telecom operators ensure that the next generations of workers have the tools they expect and can work effectively to meet business targets.
- Incrementally implement technology
Implementation of technology is no easy task, and operators need to think about how they will approach it to be successful. One possible way to do it would be through a “big bang” approach: dramatically evolving the technology within the business. However, this is often a suboptimal route and runs conflicts with a velocity approach. Choosing this method means waiting until the technology is fully implemented to see results, and given the typical scale of these projects, it’s hugely time consuming and high risk. Ideally, we want technology to have a 100% success and efficacy rate. However, that is unrealistic, meaning that some operators will be wasting time and resources on solutions with marginal business benefits.
To reduce the risk of wasted resources, operators can follow a different route to implement technology by focusing on smaller incremental benefits. Smaller, more manageable problems can be swiftly implemented and results can be rapidly assessed to chart course corrections. Alongside reducing the risks associated with the “big bang” method, incremental implementation allows businesses to create a continuous stream of benefits that deliver consistent value to customers and the business.
To follow this method, operators can start by identifying a business area that is experiencing the greatest pain point. From there, they can implement new technology that will improve the specific issue. If the solution implemented proves to be effective, operators can explore other areas where this technology would solve similar issues. Overtime, one proven solution can gradually connect operational processes and overhaul the entire business.
A specific example of this is automating the design process. Automated design is a promising and proven technology that can contribute largely to the increased velocity of deployments. However, to maximise its impact, operators must first lay the groundwork of creating strong digital geographical input data, as insufficient data will yield lesser results. Incrementally implementing these solutions builds to an overall more effective business.
- Look to other success stories for inspiration
For ideas on how to move from innovation to implementation, operators can look to US internet provider Brightspeed for inspiration. The operator has dramatically accelerated the planning and construction for its fibre optics network buildout.
To efficiently deploy its network, Brightspeed is using fibre-based Optical Distribution Network (ODN) technologies, as well as integrated software that can model and represent this architecture in a network digital twin, so that it can improve efficiency and accelerate the deployment process. This also means that Brightspeed is able to increase market availability of its network.
Following this approach has enabled Brightspeed to expand its network far quicker than if it had opted to follow a more traditional, large-project approach. The provider is expecting to reach up to 3 million homes and businesses over a five-year period using its high-velocity deployment. This includes areas where fibre is not yet well established, allowing it to efficiently tap into larger markets.
Telecom operators that can incrementally implement and leverage new technology in a similar fashion to Brightspeed will be able to take advantage of the window of business opportunity currently open. Operators that act now and at high velocity will create a major business advantage to increase market share and put themselves ahead of the competition.
The author is Raf Meersman, EMEA general manager, IQGeo
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