Distinguished selections, momentous awards, and unprecedented telecom innovations marked the recent proceedings. Notably, Telia Company’s Global IoT Connectivity solution won the B2B Service of the Year, while PT Telekomunikasi Selular took laurels in the Digital Transformation Programme category.
The GSMA annual report depicts a thriving European mobile industry, contributing over €910 billion to the economy in 2022 with projections to hit the €1 trillion mark by 2030. Despite impressive mobile coverage across Europe, certain challenges persist. The report suggests mobile operators need to make sustained investments in networks to meet global competition, and regulatory reform is crucial. Yet, some caution that this could lead to higher prices and no increase in investment, exemplified by the US situation.
The UK government’s recent decision to continue a tax exemption policy marking network gear costs as deductible pre-tax profit boosts established telecom firms like BT, although smaller enterprises might not see similar benefits. This fiscal initiative heavily benefits BT in their £15 billion full-fibre project, increasing their capital spending by £300 million annually, expediting their fibre rollout to 25 million homes by 2026.
Shell Energy faces a £1.4m fine imposed by telecom regulator Ofcom for a serious breach in communication service rules. Over 70,000 customers weren’t correctly notified about end-of-contract and best tariff options, a grave misstep underscoring the importance of clear, timely communication in service provision. Substantiating the matter, some customers were even misinformed about costs post-contract, leading to unwarranted overpayments.
When it comes to digitization strategies, providing superior customer service is paramount, a concept particularly relevant in the telecom field. Saudi Telecom Company (stc), underlines this belief by revitalizing its customer experience through a strategic collaboration with Huawei. Transforming its big data platform into a Customer-Centric Platform (CCP), offers a unified view of customer data, leading to enhanced marketing segmentation and customization. Improved efficiency and data value are already showing dividends with marked reduction in customer churn and accelerated return on investment.
Greek telecommunications heavyweight OTE appears to be changing course, with whispers abuzz of pivotal shifts in its future business plans. The rumored centerpiece is the potential sale of its Romanian mobile operations, Telekom Romania Mobile, to Quantum Projects Group. This points towards a strategic refocusing on OTE’s extensive Greek operations, signaling a departure from the international stage.
The online retailer, musicMagpie, recently confirmed preliminary dialogue with telecom giant BT and investment firm Aurelius, creating ripples in the wireless tech marketplace. While BT harbors plans to extend its EE customer division’s footprint in the pre-owned smartphone market, musicMagpie’s potential sale throws a thrilling spin to proceedings. It’s a pivotal situation in a rapidly evolving telecommunications world, requiring stakeholders to recalibrate their strategies to mirror the dynamic customer needs. Meanwhile, noteworthy events unfold elsewhere in the sector, promising fascinating updates.
In a bid to level up its national network capabilities, Swisscom has partnered with Nokia to breathe life into its Next Evolution Wavelength Transport Optical Network (NEWTON). This cutting-edge network is designed to deliver high performance, cost efficiency, and an elevated customer experience. Amid the increased demand for robust support from remote workforces to cloud computing, Swisscom turned to Nokia’s comprehensive range of optical networking solutions, a move that saw a significant upgrade which included the launch of 22 backbone sites and 560 metro sites.
Following an infamous network outage at Optus, CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin chooses to resign, leaving implications of disagreement over the cause behind the outage. The issue originated from a software upgrade in the international peering network, STiX, owned by Singtel – Optus’s parent company, sparking debate on whether it culpable for the interruption.
Navigating uncharted territory in the telecommunications ecosystem, Stratospheric Platforms Limited (SPL) alongside other UK giants, aims to forge advanced airborne 5G connectivity. With an ambitious endeavor backed by Britten-Norman and Marshall Futureworx, the collaborative effort seeks to birth a High-Altitude Platform with an airborne antenna – a revolution steering us to high-performing 5G from the stratosphere itself. Imagine an unmanned aircraft, fuelled by liquid hydrogen, its vast wingspan of 56 meters and lightweight structure promising flight endurance of over a week.
