Over the past year, the telecommunications industry has seen some significant change. From an increased focus on smart cities to better tech security – here’s a look at some of the telecom trends that have seen growth in 2020.

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the connection of powered devices to the internet. If your home has a lamp, coffee maker, air conditioner or any other appliances connected to the internet then you are living in an IoT network. Experts predict that 30 billion devices are predicted to be connected to the IoT network by 2021.

IoT networks are used to develop smart cities − urban areas built on frameworks of information and communication technologies that promote sustainable development. Essentially, a smart city is a city connected to the internet. Examples include traffic lights with sensors so it can time the light-changes based on live traffic, parking sensors to provide a map of open spots, sensors to monitor air quality and traffic congestion, and garbage sensors for automatic collection.

Smart cities will help urban areas be more sustainable by improving energy distribution, helping to clean the air, reduce traffic congestion and improve trash pick-up.

The telecom industry plays a big role in the development of IoT networks because telecom businesses are providers of IoT connection. Additionally, telecom businesses use IoT networks to monitor remote data centers to keep their systems running.

5G

The need for speed is not a new concept to the telecom industry. Since the start of the internet, telecom leaders have been working to develop bigger bandwidths and faster networks to support new technology and consumer needs. 5G is the most recent development to help accomplish this goal.

5G stands for “fifth generation” because it is the latest generation in a series that started with 1G, the analog cellular technology. 5G will deliver fiber-level speed, move more data, allow more devices to be connected, play higher resolutions videos, and allow for large IoT networks.

5G is also expected to change the role of the telecom industry. By implementing 5G, telecom businesses will take on the role of a service provider, not just a tech distributor.

Biometric Security

As we rely more on the internet, smart devices, and the cloud to store our private information, the telecom industry needed to develop new security precautions. Biometric identification has been the first choice of many telecom leaders.

Biometrics are systems and devices that confirm a person’s identity by comparing saved data to the live person. For example, when you use your finger to unlock your phone, the device is comparing your fingerprint to the data saved. If it matches, the phone is unlocked.

The New Space Race

Over the past year, Jeff Bezos, Greg Wyler and Elon Musk have been publicly competing in what is deemed the ‘new space race.’ The tech gurus are working to develop low Earth orbit satellites (LEO’s) to give every person on Earth access to high-performance broadband internet.

The goal is to launch thousands of small LEO’s to sit 500-2000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Traditional satellites are 36,000 kilometers from Earth. If successful, the satellites will be used to provide isolated communities with broadband access and develop infrastructure for various industries like mining and energy.