Communications and innovation: a perfect fit

Simon Beresford-Wylie

Today, we stand on the precipice of a change in communications technology that is unlike anything we have seen before. We are heading rapidly into a new age of communications in which, by 2015, five billion people will be able to access communications and information services.

Solar-powered base station sites are helping to bring communications to Ethiopia’s rural population. With low maintenance costs, solar power is also helping to lower the total cost of ownership of the network.

The Connectivity Scorecard ranks countries on their ICT infrastructure and the ability of people, businesses and government to use it effectively. No country comes close to a perfect score of ten, indicating that for mature and emerging markets alike there is much to be done to make the best use of their technology investments.

Offering Internet access to the next billion users in emerging markets is a complex challenge that will demand new thinking and extensive cooperation.

Making services fun, compelling and, above all, easy to use can have a dramatic impact on their adoption by subscribers. End-user experience is key.

Swiss users can enjoy the best of both worlds by watching mobile TV over 3G or DVB-H with the same subscription, following the expansion of Swisscom’s Bluewin TV mobile service.

By centralizing all subscriber data into a single store, operators can cut their application integration costs and offer better end-user services. Making more of what you know about your customers is becoming a critical business advantage.

Zain Group is investing heavily in new networks and a new brand. Its latest market is Saudi Arabia where,with a turnkey network from Nokia Siemens Networks, it aims to challenge the two incumbents for market share. unite interviews Dr Marwan Al-Ahmadi, CEO of Zain in Saudi Arabia to find out more.

Renewable energy is widely seen as a vital technology in the climate change battle. Advanced communications underpins reliable power generation, one reason why Hydro Tasmania chose Nokia Siemens Networks to upgrade its network.

A new Nokia Siemens Networks service is helping to create better end-user experiences by gathering and analyzing a mass of network data to reveal potential faults before they occur.

Delivering public services digitally, often called e-governance, can help people to find jobs, improve their health and better their education. Mobile communications technology has the best potential for helping people in emerging markets to access government services easily and conveniently.

Getting involved with local communities and putting the specific skills of its employees into good use is the philosophy behind Nokia Siemens Networks’ Corporate Social Responsibility program. From fund-raising to technical support to voluntary work by staff, the company is using its resources and capabilities to help others.

In a groundbreaking new scheme, mobile communications will soon begin connecting South Africans with HIV-related clinical services.The initiative is being led by Pop!Tech, a social innovation network that works to amplify world-changing people and ideas.

Consumers spend USD 1,200 billion annually on digital technologies for the home. For operators the market offers real opportunities for growth by providing media, communications and safety/automation services.

As rail competes for passengers and cargo, networks worldwide are undergoing rapid modernization. Innovative digital communications is part of the mix, helping to make train travel safer and more efficient.

Innovation is often born out of a specific user need. There are many examples. End-users in emerging markets often engage in ‘flashing’,whereby they dial another user and terminate the call before it is answered as a way of requesting a call back from an employer or a more affluent relative. This is also a problem for operators because the practice consumes significant network capacity, but generates no revenue.