4 Things to Know if You are in Telecom World

If you are in Telecom, this is probably the most interesting time. There are number of reasons for the same & but the few most important are:

  • Not only about Big 4 or 5 anymore
  • Telco Cloud is as Real as it can be now
  • Open & Opensource Mindset is getting real
  • Can an Operator be a Solution Provider & Co-develop?

If you are in business or closer to this industry then you should be knowing 2/4 above points, if you know all three, then you already know what’s next.

Not only about Big 4 / 5

“Is it really about Security? Maybe!! “ . For this article, let us stay away from Politics behind & focus on Technology, so fresh & exciting to see OPCOs (Operating Company) are thinking & working beyond the usual pack.

If not anything, looking beyond the regular solution providers bring innovation & healthy competition (more than just usual hop from 2/3/4/5G). Let us not evaluate the newcomers only basis of 3GPP releases & Fancy features (which you never use or would use) but the change they bring in terms of Architecture, Openness, Cloud, Software Technology.

Yeah, I know, What if Big shark eat away the small fish right?  Well this is why it is important for OPCOs to move away from trial, POCs, Labs to embrace the technology & git it a practical shot. If comparison have to be done, let it be on merits of Innovation & future possibilities

Telco Cloud is as Real as it can be

I wish, could remove the word “Telco” ( cloud is cloud )but it is important to know why.

Type Telco cloud vs IT/Webscaler cloud, you would get results as if Private vs Public or Legacy vs New age.

The right question is: When the underlying technology is Openstack or K8s for IT & Telco why the difference.  Frankly speaking difference is not Cloud but the Applications on Top of the Infrastructure cloud.

Example: (thank you google.com)

How do you make an acoustic electric sound?

The best way to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic is to use an ‘acoustic simulator’ effect either with a stompbox pedal, digital effect unit, or VST plugin. The effect simulates the resonance and tone of an acoustic guitar so your electric guitar can sound like an acoustic.

This is same what is happening, the Applications are needs to redesign to cloud native architecture. Telco Apps are VMs or Containers (sound like electric guitar, but not electric) but not cloud native.

Now why not, Read Point 1 again & ask yourself question, how many CSPs have given adapted to change outside their labs.

Open and Opensource Mindset is getting real

Being Lazy is not bad, re-using the obvious is not bad either. Opensource is the new in. How does opensource work, big topic. I cannot do justice to it,but think about the old usual community festivals or pot lunch, where all members come & contribute.

What is a pot lunch? (thank you google.com)

A potluck is a communal gathering where each guest or group contributes a different, often homemade dish of food to be shared.

In Opensource few good people design, develop & write code/software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Now there is still different models/ business behind it, where you can buy support model or troubleshooting etc. but whole idea is to start on your own.

It brings people & communities together, now more brains can solve same problem, contribute & enhance (there are enough problems & enough are same everywhere, doesn’t make sense right, may be 2 am in morning effect)

Telcos, so called Carrier Grade, Five 9’s have started embracing the open source world too now. This not only brings efficiency & fast time to market but also cultivate the culture of inhouse development.

Operator as a Solution Provider, Co-dev

Nothing new in this, a lot of operators have been into this area (contributing not only Software, Opensource, Technology & but also Consultancy).

If not R&D, operators have better experience of integrating the solutions together to build a network, run a network & optimize the network

Yes, might not have the skills, product knowledge & R&D but

  • What if there is a closed loop feedback & Co-dev model.
  • What if there is Partnership rather than Vendor-Customer ecosystem, both working on innovation (many are already doing)

What “ I“ need to Do,

How does the shift towards cloud & openness change the work culture & what skills you need to get onboard to this new wave, will try to touch the same in my next blog.

 



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