What’s next for telecom in 2025?

By Todd Foje / Great Plains Communications (GPC)

As a telecommunications provider, I see the growing demand for bandwidth-intensive apps and the need for high-speed internet everywhere in urban and rural areas as a trend that shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. To meet the demand, it will be necessary for providers to focus on building out fiber to accommodate these high-access applications. After all, access to fiber broadband infrastructure will mean opportunities for all – individuals, small businesses, enterprises, and institutions.

However, building fiber is not the only requirement because bandwidth alone is insufficient. I believe there are considerations and trends that every CEO, CIO, and CTO should be aware of that will significantly impact providers' success in 2025 and beyond, including successful digital transformation, high-performance future-ready infrastructure, highly strategic capital allocation, and the prioritization of customer experience.  

Successful digital transformation

Strong data foundation

Telecom has numerous data types, from what goes in a customer bill to engineering drawings, network maps, and multiple layers of other key information. From a CEO-vantage point, bringing efficiency to an always-on telecom business using digital technology and automation is imperative. The foundation must have clean, accessible data. Then, the provider must implement the most forward-thinking and efficient technology and processes to put that data to good use for customers, employees, and the company.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is an essential part of any digital transformation. Like most industries, telecom companies should prioritize security for internal company information, customer and employee data, networks, devices, and more. Protection from evolving threats such as ransomware, supply chain breaches, and Internet of Things (IoT) security gaps must be a priority for all providers as these threats continue to escalate in today’s business landscape.

Cloud access

Enterprises continually shift their day-to-day operations to the Cloud for enhanced security, fast access, improved performance, and reduced costs. To effectively grow the business, service providers need to work with their customers and Cloud providers through their preferred channels, which vary across generations and communities. A cloud-based architecture is critical to optimizing efficiency, driving innovation, and better serving customers.

Providers should be able to empower customers to scale resources on demand through a Cloud infrastructure. For example, a hybrid Cloud environment that combines private and public Cloud resources allows customers to meet fluctuating demand, ensuring optimal performance and cost efficiency, without managing the infrastructure themselves.

High-performance future-ready infrastructure

Data centers and network infrastructure are becoming necessities for communities because trends like Cloud storage, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and generative AI need scalable infrastructure to support the bandwidth required to operate efficiently. Flexible architecture and deploying technologies that increase network capabilities and resiliencies should be on the radar for providers everywhere.   

Providers have a continuous responsibility to invest in the health and capacity of their networks to meet the rising bandwidth and technological demands. Monitoring networks to identify and address issues quickly is essential for optimal performance. This proactive approach ensures that potential problems are detected and resolved quickly, helping to deliver the always-on connectivity that users rely on.

Strategic capital allocation

The goal is to bring high-speed internet to communities everywhere (frequently referred to as “closing the digital divide”). To be successful, a provider must strategically assess each area and extend the fiber buildout investment to maximize the return on every dollar invested. 

A well-planned fiber build is considered the best approach to maximize fiber design by engineering the build to deliver technology to multiple types of customers -- residential, business, multi-dwelling, government, healthcare, education, and more. Maximizing the investment in the planning stages benefits the provider and the community. Although this approach does require more research to engineer the network build, it pays off in the long run. Proper planning to build out to different types of end users minimizes unnecessary infrastructure costs by optimizing fiber routes and strategically utilizing resources like utility poles. This type of strategic planning to maximize the fiber build ensures cost-effective, efficient, and scalable network deployment for all.

At Great Plains Communications, we engineer our community network builds to bring fiber to homes, apartments, condos, businesses, and institutions, such as hospitals, schools, and government buildings. We also consider the feasibility of fiber-to-the-tower, low-orbiting satellite stations and data centers.

Prioritizing customer experience

By streamlining automation through digital transformation, companies can prioritize what matters most: building strong customer relationships.

Staying closely connected to communities through local employees who live and work in the communities they serve and developing and maintaining strong relationships with elected officials helps to ensure a provider can be responsive to the communities’ needs as they evolve.

Investing in ongoing workforce development and a thriving company culture that empowers employees to be passionate ambassadors, strengthening customer trust and the company’s long-term success, is vital. Ultimately, a holistic approach fosters growth and resilience and positions the company as a trusted leader within communities and the Telecom industry.

Providers must stay attuned to customers' evolving needs and the changing technology landscape. Communities rely on essential services like healthcare, education, and e-commerce, all of which depend on reliable connectivity. Fiber-driven high-speed internet offers significant opportunities. This progress is partially driven by providers who invest in the technology necessary to support these advancements.