5G isn’t the only factor driving the buildout of telecom infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapid increase in demand for high-speed telecom spectrum, has accelerated the construction of this infrastructure by an entire decade, bringing swift and transformative change to the telecom industry.
For carriers, resellers, and brokers, investments into 5G—both the construction of infrastructure and the marketing and selling of this spectrum—are being made more urgently, and at a cost many hadn’t anticipated.
However, the growing pains of this rapid shift have become necessary as telecom businesses look to keep pace with a fast-changing industry and the evolving demands of their customers.
The Constant Pressure of Customer Demand
5G demand is outpacing infrastructure development, creating strain for both customers and providers alike. Availability remains limited in many markets, hampering the available market share as telecom businesses look to convert new customers to this service.
Meanwhile, customers who purchase 5G services—only to discover the limitations of this telecom product—are piling up negative customer experiences as they realize they’ve been sold a vision that doesn’t align with reality. To ensure customer satisfaction when converting customers to 5G, telecom businesses must confirm availability for that customer before signing them up. Otherwise, the conversion may trade short-term sales success for long-term brand damage.
Customers are driving the infrastructure development around 5G, and telecom businesses are eager to capture early market share of this next-generation service. Still, telecom sales agents must be realistic about the current pace of offerings, making sure their promised services align with 5G availability.
Accelerating Digital Connectivity Through Infrastructure Sharing
Digital connectivity has enormous potential to support development of the ongoing infrastructure buildout. Although speed and consistency (among other pain points) continue to hinder internet availability in both established and emerging markets, one of the biggest challenges of comprehensive digital connectivity is the affordability of internet access.
Solutions to limited connectivity are being pursued on multiple fronts, including business solutions and policy changes designed to stimulate investment and competition. Pay-as-you-go plans offer a convenient, affordable solution, and regulated changes such as price caps are helping stimulate development. Even so, these demand-side investments have failed to achieve digital connectivity on the desired global scale.
Telecom providers and brokers have focused on adopting software-defined wide-area network (SDWAN) technology to replace older single-threaded expensive router/circuit infrastructure with more modern, diverse, last-mile technology. With SDWAN, you can create resilience in your office and network connectivity for less by combining several lower-cost technologies, such as 5G, cable broadband, and fiber.
Ultimately, this improves connectivity between branches of a single organization. It also leverages the cloud to improve performance, cut costs, and prioritize security for your customers.
Thinking Beyond 5G
With 5G connectivity just beginning to reach the mainstream in major U.S. markets, continued growth of this service—and its underpinning infrastructure—is projected to continue for decades to come. As this transformation takes place, network security will become a top telecom priority, as well as a “force multiplier for growth.”
This emphasis on secure development will also set the stage for continued telecom advancements, including the rise of 6G connectivity and other wireless technologies that will shape the telecom infrastructure of the future.
At the same time, as it is built out, telecom infrastructure isn’t just growing faster and more powerful—it’s also becoming more widespread, maximizing accessibility to all members of society. This includes remote regions where internet access has been limited or inconsistent, resulting in poor last-mile connectivity options.
While these shortcomings in telecom development have been the result of low economic returns that disincentivize investment, new services and solutions are gaining traction and filling important gaps in telecom availability. White Space is one example of this kind of internet access, which leverages unused radio spectrum to provide wireless connectivity that approaches 4G speeds.
Don’t Fall Behind in the Race for Telecom Market Share
The rising demand for 5G availability is placing stress on the entire telecom supply chain. The businesses that come through this disruption in the strongest position will be the ones that lean in to this accelerated innovation, and focus on supply-side solutions that support telecom buildout while improving the short- and long-term strength of their product.
Ready to leverage technology to accelerate your own telecom sales efforts? Schedule a demo today.
