We

live in unprecedented and uncertain times . As the world enters 2021 , we face the continued threat of COVID-19 and a constantly shifting geopolitical landscape held up against the backdrop of an increasingly alarming climate crisis .

The predictions below were gathered from experts at AT & T , Telefonica , RootMetrics , ABI Research and other leading players in the ICT sector .

Legacy of Covid-19 – ‘ 7 day weekends ’:

After being forced to work from home during lockdowns , people continue to work remotely – and a new mobile traffic phenomenon has emerged as operators face a “ 7 day weekend ”. Demand for data has grown exponentially – all week long - in suburban areas , while demand has fallen in business districts on weekdays . Many operators expect this trend to continue beyond 2021 and even post-pandemic .

Subscriber expectations have changed :

Consumers have become more techsavvy and discerning about connectivity . Their expectations have soared and operators will be blamed for poor user experience – those video calls to the grandkids need to be seamless !

Blinding encryption :

Operators could be blinded by new OTT encryption protocols being introduced in 2021 - even before standards are agreed . Currently over 85 % of traffic on mobile networks is encrypted and operators have relied on traditional optimisation technology to manage this so far . This will change dramatically during 2021 .

16 March 2021