Originally Published on: QuantzigBig Data Challenges Troubling Managers in the Telecom Industry
In recent years, the telecom industry has faced a period of relative stagnation, primarily attributed to diminishing revenues from voice-based services. The shift in consumer preferences towards data usage has played a pivotal role in this transformation. However, the industry has witnessed significant technological advancements, including the emergence of 4G and 5G technologies and the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT). With an anticipated surge in the global subscriber base to 5.6 billion unique subscribers, the telecom sector is confronted with the task of efficiently managing the colossal volume of data generated by billions of customers. What are the principal challenges that telecom players will grapple with in the realm of big data?
Big Data Challenges in the Telecom Industry:
High Capital Expenditure: The transition in data consumption trends, favoring services like WhatsApp and Skype over traditional voice services, has resulted in heightened capital expenditure demands for telecom operators. Meeting the escalating data traffic and bandwidth usage necessitates substantial investments in infrastructure. Operators must strategically focus on achieving cost efficiency while concurrently investing in infrastructure to support big data analytics.
Network Analytics: Network monitoring products serve a critical role in collecting and analyzing data for actionable insights to optimize networks. However, the application of advanced analytics to network data introduces challenges related to processes and political issues in efficiently sharing data with relevant stakeholders and addressing uncooperative vendors.
Data Storage Issues: The telecom industry's global unique subscriber base approached 5 million subscribers in 2016, and the proliferation of 3G and 4G subscriptions is set to contribute to the exponential growth of content and user data. Effectively storing this vast amount of information poses a significant challenge for telecom companies. Addressing this challenge involves implementing automated data migration strategies and adopting tiered storage data management to reduce the overall cost of data handling.
Integrating IoT: The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) adds a new layer of complexity for telecom companies, requiring them to manage a diverse array of devices beyond smartphones. This includes dealing with IoT devices such as refrigerators, speakers, sound systems, and temperature control systems. Collaborating with key IoT players like IBM, GE, Deloitte, and Intel becomes imperative for telecom operators navigating this evolving landscape.
