5G is accelerating the fixed wireless revolution in enterprise IT with 92% of communications providers planning 5G deployment by the end of 2022. Most operators have by now developed their technology strategy, but the commercial strategy and use cases remain a blur. There is a huge opportunity to monetise 5G in B2B and B2B2x business models - but are the operators ready to do that?
To fully embrace the technology, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) will have to accelerate their operations. 5G subscriptions are forecast to exceed $4 billion by 2027, according to Statista. On the enterprise side, they will be increasingly adopting fixed wireless solutions that leverage 5G without wired infrastructure. The increasing young population of millennials and Generation Z in the workplace is driving the demand for faster internet and stronger 5G fixed wireless access connections.
Slow and siloed systems are becoming even a bigger issue now that 5G is in the picture. The infrastructures to handle more complex and real-time products are currently not there and the customer experience that is expected along with the rise of this technology is still mostly at the power point stage.
Digital transformation is inevitable along with the increased demand for5G and fixed wireless services. It is the answer to the question about the ROI of 5G investments and is the opportunity to monetise this technology and deliver data services that cater to the demands of our always-on, on-demand digital era.
5G requires innovation
5G is adding incredible operational complexity to mobile operators’ businesses. Not only is it delivering faster download and upload speeds, but it is also creating customer demands for faster procurement processes and service delivery. The true challenge lies in the deployment of 5G and the support with greater service agility, automation, and visibility into sales processes.
With all that exciting technology around us, with 5G and IoT flooding us from every conference panel, many MNOs are not up to date with their sales and operational processes and are slow in their adoption of innovation. It is time to understand they need to move away from legacy technologies and begin a digital transformation process which will enable them to move with new speed and agility.
Sales processes have always been left behind and MNOs are now realising that serving the demand for 5G fixed wireless services will require more than just the technology itself. They need to be able to create a seamless customer experience throughout and that starts at the first sales touchpoints.
Despite all that hype about digitisation, sales processes currently continue to be largely manual and offline. If MNOs want to truly succeed in deploying 5G - they need a long and honest look in their back office. What they find is that it’s not sufficient to have a decent ROI coming from 5G.
The opportunity in 5G is too big to miss and by transforming their sales processes they could massively increase revenue streams throughout the business.
Turning away from manual
By identifying the opportunity in digital processes and moving away from slow and manual methods MNOs will be enhancing business operations in multiple ways. 5G technology can open multiple new revenue streams and offer access to new services including fixed wireless.
Looking at the systems, traditional BSS is good for the functions of a connectivity provider where new service creation is done manually. When it comes to 5G, the system should allow for fast, automated service creation, enablement for IoT/edge platforms; support for dedicated networks, and a high level of automation to facilitate dynamic network slicing with specific provisioning requirements. End users will need to be able to self-configure the network allocation- this will require excellent digital front-end and back-end experiences. This kind of self-service capability goes beyond the current state of most legacy BSS platforms and manual processes.
There is an opportunity for enterprises to improve margins and reduce costs with 5G sales. Enterprises can drive down expenses by automating network planning and operations to create a more streamlined approach to sales.
A fixed wireless future
As MNOs begin or continue with their digital transformation journey and trickle these processes down into their sales department, they’ll be enabling their organisation to create better roadmaps from the business to the end-user.
5G is attractive to enterprises because it offers an alternative to cable broadband at a much faster speed than 4G or LTE networks. As time goes on, underserved local markets and multi-national global markets will both benefit from fixed wireless, especially in areas where fixed-line infrastructure is difficult to deploy. For now, the use cases seem to be most attractive for B2B and B2B2x and this is where MNOs should focus on delivering value.
By streamlining their offerings, sales processes and overall experience, MNOs will be able to maximise revenues, reduce costs and enhance their reputation within the enterprise landscape. It just requires the right approach and a digital transformation partner who understands the telecoms industry to support them.
The monetisation of 5G will require getting the house in order. ROI from these huge investments in networks will not come to those who leave their manual processes as they are, failing to innovate and dust off their legacy siloed systems. Only the organisations that transform their offerings will be the ones that can match the demands of local and global customers.
