Technologies continue to develop despite any crises. Progress in telecommunications is especially active. Over time, business, government and ordinary people need more and more reliable and fast communication. And the telecom industry has to comply. What will we see in the near future?
5G & WIFI 6
This is the most obvious trend. Analysts say the total global 5G market will grow to $2.7 trillion this year. And the epidemic will most likely not affect this forecast in any way, as the need for fast communication channels continues to increase.
Many companies supply 5G equipment – Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson, Huawei, Zexel, Qualcomm and others. Base stations for 5G have been around for a long time, and now consumer devices with fifth-generation wireless chips are entering the market.
Mobile router Zexel LTE2566
Similarly, WIFI 6, the next generation of wireless communications, is evolving. It is necessary in locations with a maximum concentration of devices with wireless communication modules. These can be large companies, public places – airports, restaurants, parks, as well as industrial facilities where the Internet of things is actively used.
Access points with appropriate wireless access are produced by Zexel, TP-Link, D-Link, Samsung.
Satellite Internet
This year, most likely, the Starlink satellite Internet network, deployed by SpaceX, will start working. Now there are already several hundred satellites in orbit, which have previously demonstrated their operability.
Unfortunately, the second company, which planned to deploy its own network of satellites in orbit, declared itself bankrupt the other day. We are talking about the company Onawa. Bankruptcy is voluntary.
the management announced it on March 27 in a press release. Most likely, the problem is competition from Amazon and SpaceX, as well as Russia’s refusal to issue the necessary frequencies to the company. Plus, factors such as the coronavirus (you can’t throw words out of a song) and the global economic crisis associated with the epidemic came into play.
But be that as it may, another satellite network is being developed by Amazon, which is doing very well despite the crisis. The company has already announced that it will start providing satellite communication services after the launch of the first 578 satellites. Yes, and SpaceX is already close to launching its own satellite infrastructure, so this year we should hear about the launch of it in operational mode.
Now there are new AI processors that can be installed in smartphones, tablets, corporate devices.
But the model of peripheral computing on the infrastructure of the telecom operator (far edge) has also begun to actively spread. This is an architecture in which computing processes are performed in mini-data centers close to the end user. Now peripheral calculations through telecom operators are performed within 50 kilometers from the final recipient of the service.
According to the forecast, this year the revenue of the market of peripheral computing through the telecom operator will reach $21 billion.
Popularization of service robots
Unlike industrial robots, service robots have appeared relatively recently. The vast majority move with the help of wheels. Some have manipulators, others don’t. They are needed for transporting goods, checking loading lines at the enterprise, working in logistics, etc.
Previously, their use was limited because there was no technology to control robots centrally and at a great distance. Various factors interfered, including the limited bandwidth of communication channels.
With the advent of 5G, as we have already mentioned above, the problem is removed. Thus, the density of terminals in the 5G network can reach 1 million devices per 1 sq. m, 10,000 devices can be connected to such a network. But in the 4G network – only 607 devices. We can say that the problem of maintaining a stable connection with service mobile robots has been solved.
And this means expanding the areas where service robots are used and increasing the number of robots themselves. And household or industrial robots will also get a second wind thanks to 5G and Wi-Fi 6.
Content delivery networks
Yes, this is another actively growing trend, especially in quarantine. Content delivery networks, CDNs, are delivering more and more games, high-quality videos, and more to consumers. According to forecasts, by 2022, 72% of the total Internet traffic will pass through CDN, while in 2017 this figure was 56%.
Online video game developers and CDN owners are gradually coming to create a new generation of streaming media.
In addition, 5G network operators play an important role, as in two years about 12% of mobile traffic will move to 5G networks.
CND providers, on the other hand, will have to gradually solve such important problems as expanding network bandwidth, increasing capacity, improving the quality of services, and forecasting demand. In the context of the epidemic and the corresponding increase in traffic consumption, telecom operators and content providers have to find solutions from the current situation, which leads to the growth and development of the telecommunications industry.
In addition to the trends mentioned above, technologies related to telemedicine, online learning, and remote work will also actively develop.