Ant Morse , Head of Digital Solutions at O2 ( Telefonica UK ), discusses digital transformation in telecoms and the potential impact of 5G o ne innovation is perhaps more synonymous with the way in which technology has changed our lives than any other : the mobile phone . Whilst the acceleration of digital transformation over the last decade or more has left few industries untouched , the mobile phone and the telecoms industry more broadly , continues to play a central role in this . Our smartphones are our 24 / 7 access to the internet ; they allow us to shop , to exchange money or organise mortgages or loans ; and , more recently , they have allowed us to continue working despite the disruption caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic .