Telecom operators to become backbone of the digital economy

The global digital economy continues to grow rapidly, with more than 50 percent of global GDP likely to be digitalized in 2022. It is then not surprising that several economies, like the EU, China, and South Korea, have announced massive investments to boost the digital economy. 

The year 2022 will see operators leveraging 5G and ICT to capture emerging opportunities in the digital economy to reach the next level of growth. 

"As ICT infrastructure providers, operators will become the cornerstone of the digital economy. We can evaluate the vitality of the digital economy by looking at three factors: connection density, computing diversity, and carbon reduction. These three factors give operators the levers they can use to shape the future of the digital economy," says Ryan Ding, Executive Director, President of the Carrier BG, Huawei in his address at the Mobile World Congress 2022.

The rapidly growing 5G deployment is not just helping operators increase the number of users but also accelerating the industry's digitalization. By the end of 2021, 200 operators have deployed commercial 5G networks, servicing more than 700 million 5G users. 

There are currently over 1,200 commercial 5G devices in use. This growing user base is bringing commercial returns to operators while driving continuous network rollouts.

"The 5G pioneers have achieved remarkable commercial success. In 2021, leading 5G operators, like the three major operators in China, LG U+ in South Korea, and Zain in Kuwait, all saw their revenue growth," says Ding. 

5G is unlike any other previous technology and is playing a crucial role in speeding up industry digitalization. This opens up new revenue opportunities for the operators in private wireless access to industrial applications. More than 30 operators have already provisioned over 60,000 private lines. 

In the 5G economy, the operator will play a crucial role in helping industries leverage digital technologies for growth. This can be done by creating synergies between connectivity and IT. Ryan Ding emphasizes three types of synergies: the first is between IT and CT synergy; the second is between cloud and edge synergy, and the third is between cloud and network synergy. 

To support the digital ecosystem in the Asia Pacific, Huawei in 2021 has announced that it will invest $50 million to develop 500,000 digital talents for the Asia Pacific in the next 5 years and invest $100 million over three years to cultivate the startup ecosystem in the region.

Source: TotalTelecom