The Latest Telecommunications Developments That Will Make The World More Interconnected Than Ever Before

Telecommunications is a more vital commodity than it has ever been. The global telecom industry is expected to grow to nearly $2.5 trillion by 2028, from $1.6 trillion in 2020, according to Grand View Research. The world is gearing up for a great shift towards the digital space, much more swiftly and on a much larger scale than the steady rise in internet use that we saw throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Data centers are popping up in more places throughout the planet, and new and better connections are linking each of them to create the most robust version of the world wide web we’ve seen yet.

The foremost development that’s driving telecommunications innovation today is the rate at which we’re improving connectivity, in terms of improving speeds, opening up new pathways, and reducing the likelihood of failure. For example, FiSens, a German startup, manufactures an improved kind of Fiber Bragg Grating or FBG sensors. These sensors allow for faster detection of imminent connection failure, allowing preventive maintenance to be executed very early on, thus avoiding a lengthy period of connection loss. In terms of opening up new pathways, companies like SpaceX and Sateliot are starting to gain a lot of traction in their endeavors to provide 5G coverage all over the world, even in places previously out of reach of telecom providers. Both companies had successful launches this year, with Sateliot completing its maiden launch in March, and SpaceX launching 51 Starlink satellites in December.

The increased bandwidth provided by modern telecom networks has allowed the delivery of higher-resolution content to be feasible. This is seeing particular development in the gaming world, with a growing number of proponents for cloud gaming. Companies like Subspace are developing network hubs to bring more players around the world together with minimal latency. This could serve as a testbed for further applications of high-resolution content delivery, such as in industry and construction. We are already seeing this in cordless or wireless phones with video capabilities and baby monitors which are made possible by the degree of connectivity we enjoy today.

The next evolution of smart devices is here. Individual devices, vehicles, and even machines now “talk” to each other, the information gathered from one another enhancing the quality of their performance. Machine-to-machine or M2M communication particularly excels at creating security systems, with companies like Angoka able to realize security that mere years ago could only be seen in science fiction. Device-to-cloud communications, on the other hand, allow for more comprehensive gathering of data from a certain environment. India-based startup M2Cloud is developing solutions that use D2C to obtain traffic data to streamline the transport infrastructure, as well as passively detect the body temperature of individuals to improve health and safety in the post-pandemic world.

Despite initial difficulties, the heightened need for better digital capabilities has now brought us to this brave new world of unprecedented interconnectivity. In only a few years, there may no longer be a place on the planet outside of the reach of the global network.