This book examines the extensive changes in markets, technologies and value chains that telecommunication companies are currently confronted with. It analyzes the crossroads they have reached and the choices that now need to be made – to be a bit pipe or a trendsetter of digitalization. Based on an analysis of the key challenges for telcos, the book derives future market scenarios and puts forward recommendations for how they can successfully position themselves. It proposes a framework based on seven “levers,” which addresses concrete measures in each step of the value chain, ranging from technology, IT and processes, to innovation, marketing and sales issues. The book discusses the current challenges and provides both general recommendations and concrete solutions. Respected experts illustrate innovative strategic and technical trends and provide insights gained in real-life transformation projects. Recent developments in the areas of regulation, product development, competition between over-the-top (OTT) providers and telcos, as well as technical innovations like 5G, SDN/NFV, LEO satellites and MEC are discussed. Accordingly, practitioners, managers and researchers alike will benefit from the book’s wealth of examples and up-to-date insights.

This book contains the results of a symposium organized to ask what kind of future old and new players in the telecommunications industries will have given the dynamic changes in technologies and markets. The symposium combined perspectives from industrial practice and academic research originating from North America and Europe. Key issues featuring here are the technological drivers of change, changing market structures and business models, and the nature of future regulation on telecom markets.

The extreme transformation from a traditional Communication Service Provider (CSP) to a Digital Service Provider (DSP) status is covered in this book, specifically: Redefinition of the offerings of "connectivity services" to "digital services"; unification of legacy redundant networks into one; Redefinition of the measurements to customer-centric QoE for all digital and connectivity services; the Best-in-Industry processes and practices to ensure a sustainable network performance at a competitively operational efficiency; a Service-over-IP (SoIP) platform to enable the introduction of unified new services with a time-to-market urgency; the regulatory arrangement for content purification, to liberalize CSPs to become DSPs; an architecture for data mining and analytics; and a migration plan from a CSP to a DSP status. The book is recommended for telecom and digital service professionals planning to embark on transformational projects; telecom and technology equipment manufacturers to help with product development for a DSP status; institutional investors to evaluate and establish their investment decisions; telecom management consultants to help with a solid benchmark for transformation engagement; university students, majoring in telecommunication and technology products as a guide for career planning.

Ten years ago, the United States stood at the forefront of the Internet revolution. With some of the fastest speeds and lowest prices in the world for high-speed Internet access, the nation was poised to be the global leader in the new knowledge-based economy. Today that global competitive advantage has all but vanished because of a series of government decisions and resulting monopolies that have allowed dozens of countries, including Japan and South Korea, to pass us in both speed and price of broadband. This steady slide backward not only deprives consumers of vital services needed in a competitive employment and business market—it also threatens the economic future of the nation. This important book by leading telecommunications policy expert Susan Crawford explores why Americans are now paying much more but getting much less when it comes to high-speed Internet access. Using the 2011 merger between Comcast and NBC Universal as a lens, Crawford examines how we have created the biggest monopoly since the breakup of Standard Oil a century ago. In the clearest terms, this book explores how telecommunications monopolies have affected the daily lives of consumers and America's global economic standing.

This practical handbook and reference provides a complete understanding of the telecommunications field supported by descriptions and case examples throughout Taking a practical approach, The Telecommunications Handbook examines the principles and details of all of the major and modern telecommunications systems currently available to industry and to end-users. It gives essential information about usage, architectures, functioning, planning, construction, measurements and optimisation. The structure of the book is modular, giving both overall descriptions of the architectures and functionality of typical use cases, as well as deeper and practical guidelines for telecom professionals. The focus of the book is on current and future networks, and the most up-to-date functionalities of each network are described in sufficient detail for deployment purposes. The contents include an introduction to each technology, its evolution path, feasibility and utilization, solution and network architecture, and technical functioning of the systems (signalling, coding, different modes for channel delivery and security of core and radio system). The planning of the core and radio networks (system-specific field test measurement guidelines, hands-on network planning advices and suggestions for the parameter adjustments) and future systems are also described. Each chapter covers aspects individually for easy reference, including approaches such as: functional blocks, protocol layers, hardware and software, planning, optimization, use cases, challenges, solutions to potential problems Provides very practical detail on the planning and operation of networks to enable readers to apply the content in real-world deployments Bridges the gap between the communications in the academic context and the practical knowledge and skills needed to work in the telecommunications industry Section divisions include: General theory; Fixed telecommunications; Mobile communications; Space communications; Other and special communications; and Planning and management of telecommunication networks Covers new commercial and enhanced systems deployed, such as IPv6 based networks, LTE-Advanced and GALILEO An essential reference for Technical personnel at telecom operators; equipment and terminal manufacturers; Engineers working for network operators.

The modern telecommunications infrastructureâ€"made possible by research performed over the last several decadesâ€"is an essential element of the U.S. economy. The U.S. position as a leader in telecommunications technology, however, is at risk because of the recent decline in domestic support of long-term, fundamental telecommunications research. To help understand this challenge, the National Science Foundation asked the NRC to assess the state of telecommunications research in the United States and recommend ways to halt the research decline. This report provides an examination of telecommunications research support levels, focus, and time horizon in industry, an assessment of university telecommunications research, and the implications of these findings on the health of the sector. Finally, it presents recommendations for enhancing U.S. telecommunications' research efforts.

This book constitutes a collaborative and selected documentation of the scientific outcome of the European COST Action IS0605 Econ@Tel "A Telecommunications Economics COST Network" which run from October 2007 to October 2011. Involving experts from around 20 European countries, the goal of Econ@Tel was to develop a strategic research and training network among key people and organizations in order to enhance Europe's competence in the field of telecommunications economics. Reflecting the organization of the COST Action IS0605 Econ@Tel in working groups the following four major research areas are addressed: - evolution and regulation of communication ecosystems; - social and policy implications of communication technologies; - economics and governance of future networks; - future networks management architectures and mechanisms.