2019 was, without a doubt, an eventful year for the global communications space. There were, of course, a fair share of hits and misses, which, experts say, made the game more interesting. Going forward, this momentum is expected to continue and unearth many new twists and turns. Key technology influencers share their views on the hits and misses this year and the surprises 2020 is likely to bring. Excerpts…

Simon Cocking, Chief Editor Irish Tech News and Senior Advisor, Swyft Network at SWYFT Network

Trends Likely to Make Headlines in 2020

• Blockchain related technologies, that are allied with the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors are likely to come to the fore. A fall in prices of these technologies is expected, to enable more insights, faster.
• The time is now for climate-related initiatives, renewables and smart and green technologies. We have no plan(et) B, so we have to make big changes now, in 2020 before it is too late.
• Privacy, Facebook / Cambridge Analytica and Google, have showed us that people are right to be distrustful of big multinationals to be trusted to manage our data and act in our best interests. Because of this, they will be under much more scrutiny, deservedly so, in 2020.

Technologies that didn’t make the Cut in 2019

• The world got stung by the crypto downturn in 2018, so 2019 was always going to be a period of wariness, recovery and reassessing what is, and is not a good idea.
• Renewables grew well in 2019, but there was still scope for more to have happened, in more places, more quickly. Here's hoping for 2020.

Ronald van Loon, Global Top 10 Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things Influencer

Trends Likely to Make Headlines in 2020

In 2020, the global communications sector is going to be increasingly impacted by artificial intelligence (AI). This will be witnessed across network optimization, sales, marketing, and services. Automation and personalization at scale via AI enabled chatbots are enhancing the customer experience and offering always-accessible sales and service support. This is in addition to product development, and AI driven networks that can perform self-optimization and analysis and help create new networks.

Data monetization will be a key driver for digital innovation. This, in turn, will enable multiple new opportunities. These include; deriving value from both structured and unstructured data, better meet emerging market needs, and generate new revenue streams. Telco companies need to implement a multi-pronged strategy. This ought to be for sourcing credible and relevant data and adopting user-friendly tools and techniques to extract actionable insights from data. Equally important is using AI and machine learning to structure data and prepare it for analysis to uncover crucial insights, such as market trends and correlations.

Technologies that didn’t make the Cut in 2019

Real AI applications didn’t make the cut yet at scale in 2019, but scaling past pilots and into operational capabilities at scale will happen in 2020. Also in the coming year, the global communications sector is going to be increasingly impacted by AI across network optimization, sales, marketing, and services. Automation and personalization at scale via AI enabled chatbots are enhancing the customer experience and offering always-accessible sales and service support in addition to product development, and AI driven networks can perform self-optimization and analysis and help create new networks.

Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum

Trends Likely to Make Headlines in 2020

Looking at the telecoms operator business more broadly, we are seeing a shift in focus towards the business-to-business (B2B) market to leverage the potential of 5G. But, not all communication service providers will be successful here. Those that are, essentially, consumer-focused, will need to have a very clear, specific focus to differentiate themselves from those operators which have a long-established presence in the B2B market.

Technologies that didn’t make the Cut in 2019

In 2019, we saw a further fragmentation of the strategies that communication service providers are pursuing to drive new growth. In Western Europe and North America, these players continued their expansion into the TV market. They see themselves as natural providers of a range of access (fixed, mobile) and services bundles (TV, over-the-top (OTT) video etc). Across developing markets, the focus is very much on mobile and a focus on how to drive revenues from the mobile devices. Mobile payments continue to be a strong focus here.

Daniel Steeves, Chief Executive Officer, Steeves Solutions, Germany and Nigeria

Trends Likely to Make Headlines in 2020

AI: On-going advances in AI will surely see 2020 eclipsing Orwell’s 1984, compliments of the Chinese Social Credit System. Facial recognition applied to behavioural surveillance delivering a reward (and penalty) based system considering everything – about everybody – from illegal parking to unpaid bills and from honking your horn in traffic through to how often you visit your parents. Ranging upwards to a 150 cameras per 1,000 people ratio in several major Chinese municipalities but don’t forget London, England, which at 68 cameras per 1,000 people, exceeds Beijing.

Cryptocurrency: 2020 could provide a significant shake-out or clean-up of a large swathe of “unnecessary” and unsuccessful alt-coins. But, at the same time, the German announcement enabling crypto trading and acceptance by licensed banks will surely change perspectives. Watch the space for copycats with improved or weakened responses – and expect some limitations as to which the specifics of which cryptocurrencies those banks will trade in. In any case, this is a game-changing move from the mainstream or Central Bank side of things which seems to bode well for the industry in general.

Technologies that didn’t make the Cut in 2019

Lack of the Impact of Blockchain and crypto:
In 2019, this has been far less positive that it should have been. This is a result of (a preponderance of) failed projects and concepts, combined with the higher-than-average ratio of scams which have reduced acceptance and increased cross-sector and cross-market scepticism.

I stand behind blockchain (not necessarily cryptocurrency) as evolutionary to real data management. However, I must admit that 90 per cent of the businesses seeking my advisory services are not worth the time it takes to review their business models.

And I remain disappointed that the disruption that ICOs, etc might have caused to the world of the venture capitalist has been, so far, more a bump in the road than the required step-change.

Lack of Impact of Fintech to Consumers:
A combination of bank-provided services via the web and applications and far too many 'me too' offerings has further muddied the value consumers might extract from Fintech. If it weren't for the fact that so much of the Fintech that I see is just taking the same road well-travelled by the banks with a focus on profit over value. This is other than the unicorns, of course, which seem to wear billion dollar losses as badges of honour.

The main proof of the lack of value from the sector is that my answer to the following question remains, “not a clue”, after ten years of being asked my opinion on what the next generation of financial services will look like.

Lack of Impact of Attempts at “Digital Transformation”
As a specialist in shaping transformation and growth plans to suit new markets and enable rapid scaling, I have come across the following recurring errors this past year (and many many years before). The typical root cause is inexperienced internal "expertise”:

- Transforming an organisation that was not yet organised
- Lack of clear and quantifiable goals, roadmap, targets which transformation is meant to deliver
- Focusing on technology rather than requirements
- Strategic planning by operational resources
- Planning change for today rather than for tomorrow

Dr Mahesh Uppal, Director, Com First (India)

Trends Likely to Make Headlines in 2020

I believe the most dramatic trend is the speed with which the market for communications infrastructure is consolidating and how competition has reduced in that space. Another emerging trend is the systematic reduction in use of circuit switched PSTN calls.

Technologies that didn’t make the Cut in 2019

There was too much discussion about 5G, especially by Indian government officials. It seems deployment is probably two years away.