The Future of Telecoms: paving the way forward for telcos

By: Naorus Abdulghani, Group Chief Technology Officer, Beyond ONE

The telecoms industry is undergoing an exciting transformation, spearheaded by major M&A deals, which have been shaking up the industry regionally and across the globe. While this is both indicative of an industry that is becoming increasingly competitive and at the pinnacle of our ever-expanding digital lives, the answer isn’t as simple as acquire or die. Underpinning this upsurge in investment activity is the reality that our digital lives hinge on more than one or two digital services - but the true opportunity lies in integration not accumulation.?

Beyond ONE was born out of the realization that although we are living an increasing amount of our life through our fingertips, these incredible advancements in tech are not simplifying our lives. In many ways, the digital world is as siloed as the physical one; yet it shouldn’t be. The digital ecosystem is barrierless, an open world of limitless opportunity. What Beyond ONE is trying to do is expand our reality. Our vision is to radically rethink the concept of personalization and inclusivity. To avoid falling foul to claims of bias, it should be made clear that there are other telcos and TMT-sector businesses who share in this outlook, too. But our advantage is that we were built from the ground up with this ambition as our DNA.?

With 5G connectivity predicted to be accessible to 1.8 billion people by 2025, there is no doubt that this will revolutionize how we connect and interact with the digital ecosystem and ultimately become the springboard for telcos to offer much more to a highly engaged customer base. However, we are noticing a critical misstep in this evolution – one where telcos are expanding their services to gatekeep rather than integrate. Instead, telcos should be recognizing this as an opportunity to reimagine the whole digital landscape through a consumer-first lens.?

Beyond ONE is constantly pushing boundaries to design a solution that puts people first. Despite frequent new digital product launches coming to market, particularly across the telecoms industry, the consumer experience remains largely unchanged. An issue Beyond ONE plans to rectify by totally disrupting the market, focusing on the customer experience not the expanse of the brand portfolio. Not only does this require an understanding of the different types of digital services users want, but also the many ways they interact with them. Although our digital interactions are very subjective experiences, we are committed to transforming the traditional digital ecosystem to become totally personal to individual users.?

While we have started with telecoms, the goal is to play a part across all digital services, from entertainment to healthcare to finance and everything in between. We see a future where a health management platform integrates with wearable devices, electronic health records, and even smart home systems to provide comprehensive care. Or where a banking app integrates with financial education tools, tracks all spending, and enables the user to seamlessly control their subscriptions each month.?

A democratized digital world is on the horizon, but getting there must be done responsibly. As broader integration across digital services occurs, greater concern will arise around the safe management of data – a completely valid concern. As key industry players, who already handle large volumes of personal data, we have the infrastructures and protocols already in place. However, communicating, being transparent and ensuring users can maintain control on their data will become vital.?

While the industry requires more than just M&A, being able to incorporate innovations to revolutionize the digital landscape and support us on our journey to redefine what is possible is incredibly rewarding. It is always a humbling moment when what you thought was blue-sky thinking is very much possible. The future of digital is truly exciting – and truly limitless.???

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