The telco industry has evolved dramatically over the course of 2024, with digital transformation ultimately changing the way businesses operate. Cutting-edge technologies like AI and edge computing are ultimately revolutionising a range of areas in telecommunications, ranging from network management to customer service.
This development is also occurring alongside the industry starting to prioritise sustainability as it continues to expand, as companies seek to balance growth with environmental responsibility.
Mobile Magazine spotlights some of the leading trends hitting the telecommunications industry and some of the companies that are already working with them.
10. Cross-platform development
Cross-platform development is the process of building applications with one shared code base which can then be delivered onto different platforms. It is different from native development, where a mobile app is created to run only on a specific mobile operating system (OS). Some examples include Instagram, Skype, Walmart and Airbnb.
Cross-platform apps have shareable code that can be reused across multiple platforms. A single codebase speeds up development and cuts development costs, particularly for repetitive tasks like data serialisation and API calls.
9. Enhanced cybersecurity
There has been a surge of spending within security areas of telco businesses, which highlights the rising importance of strong cybersecurity measures in the digital landscape. The level of ever-evolving threats was confirmed by a Moody report earlier in 2024, which found that companies have seen their cybersecurity budgets increase by 125% from 2019 to 2023.
BT is one example of a company that offers a range of cybersecurity advisory services to help customers assess their security posture and identify threats and build strategies.
8. Open RAN
Open RAN is an industry movement embracing open interfaces and virtualised radio access network (RAN) solutions, breaking from the proprietary, integrated RAN systems that have traditionally dominated mobile networks. It is a new approach to building the mobile networks needed to connect smartphones and other devices to the internet.
Companies implement Open RAN to reduce network deployment costs and enable operators to mix equipment from multiple vendors. Companies like Ericsson, for example, are eager to demonstrate that Open RAN can offer much needed diversity to the telecommunications supply chain and increase innovation.
7. Low-Code/No-Code Development
Low-code and no-code development platforms are software development tools and environments that allow enterprise developers and citizen developers to create new applications using drag-and-drop components, linking them together and creating mobile or web apps. It is gaining traction in the industry, with the market expected to reach roughly US$36.43bn by 2027, generating US$187bn in revenue by 2030.
6. Predictive analytics
Predictive AI can help businesses examine data to optimise pricing strategies, forecast consumer demand or predict upcoming market trends. It can also help to streamline claims management and forecast potential losses.
These insights can help telcos take historical data, combined with future forecasts, to run preventive and predictive analytics to better make sense of trends and maintain a competitive advantage. According to IBM, the technology can also parse customer data to understand usage patterns and better predict when it needs to increase service delivery.
Matthieu Bourguignon, Head of Nokia’s Network and Infrastructure Division within Nokia for Europe, explains to our sister publication Technology Magazine: "Advanced connectivity also opens doors to leveraging AI and machine learning for data analysis, leading to predictive insights, operational optimisation and personalised customer experiences."
5. The Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT use is rapidly growing, with adoption increasing in fields such as transportation, agriculture and smart city initiatives. It has long been heralded as a revolutionary technology, promising to provide unprecedented insights and enable truly smart applications across various sectors.
From smart cities to intelligent homes, the potential benefits of IoT are indisputable. For instance, Huawei's 5.5G technology works to reduce power consumption in passive IoT by obtaining energy from the surrounding environment. The technology is designed to be deployed with 5G-Advanced networks, equipped with inter-site resource coordination and joint scheduling optimisation.
4. Edge
Edge computing is a distributed computing framework that brings enterprise applications closer to data sources. It is a booming sector, with the edge data centre market in particular expected to reach US$300bn by 2026, on account of technologies like generative AI (Gen AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) powering its growth. The technology is beneficial for real-time applications like autonomous vehicles (AVs) and automation.
Using edge computing, leading network providers use edge computing to bring data processing closer to the source to reduce latency and improve performance. Companies like AT&T partner with leading system integrators to enable applications and cloud service providers within a business to leverage multi-access edge computing.
3. The journey towards 6G
Despite 6G not being widely available any time soon, mobile companies are definitely racing to define a new standard of innovation in the sector.
The potential impact of 6G is significant, as industry experts have predicted it could support one million devices per square kilometre, compared to the 1,000 devices supported by 5G. However, the development of 6G is facing technical challenges such as the development of new materials for high-frequency transmissions.
To confront this, Samsung's vision is to combine its expertise in communication technology with its AI capabilities to strengthen 5G businesses and create new business opportunities in the 6G era by shaping the future of communication technology.
In October 2022, the company announced a new research group that focuses on developing technologies for 6G networks and devices.
2. Mobile Payments
The mobile payments market is growing and is expected to grow from US$14.99bn in 2023 to US$23.65bn by 2030. Some factors that are driving this growth include the increasing number of people using smartphones around the world, the increasing popularity of online shopping and businesses adapting their payment systems to be compatible with mobile devices.
In this way, Vodafone Fiji is partnering with fintechs and technology providers to boost connectivity, support digital inclusion and tackle financial crime. Some of the notable payment networks it partners with include the likes of Visa and MasterCard in order to boost its fintech offerings.
1. AI and machine learning
AI is currently working to transform the telecommunications sector and is widely being used to optimise operations, improve customer experience and bolster insights for businesses. As we move into 2025, operators want more help streamlining operations, generating revenue and enhancing customer experience with AI.
In the above video, Amazon Web Services (AWS) explains how it has a broad range of AI applications that telecom operators can leverage. The tech giant is eager to keep listening to its telco customers and rapidly build what they need to match their excitement about the pace of change and new AI telco applications emerging.
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