Modern Trends Change the Face of the Telecommunications Industry, 8-14-2007
Globally, the telecommunications industry is about a $3.5 billion sector, including more than $1 trillion in annual revenues in the U.S. Several forces continue to reap major changes in the telecommunications sector today, including: a) mergers and consolidation have completely changed this industry's landscape, b) competition is heating up and cross-border ownership of telecom businesses is making this an increasingly globalized industry, c) deregulation and privatization will have a continual effect on the telecom sector worldwide and d) rapid advances in Internet and wireless technologies will continue unabated, quickly changing consumer preferences and disrupting traditional communication methods. In this fast-paced environment, it can be difficult to keep up with which trends are affecting the industry and by how much. A recent report has come out by Plunkett Research, Ltd. to answer that very challenge. A few of the trends discussed at length include:
- Local Landline Service Suffers; Bundled Services Pick Up Some of the Slack.
A growing numbers of cell phone users are giving up their landlines phones. According to a study by Forrester Research, in 2005 about 8% of U.S. households relied solely on cell phones, up from 5% in 2004 and 4% in 2003.
- Municipal Wi-Fi Broadband Systems Make Whole Cities Wireless.
Because of their relatively low cost and ease of installation, many cities and communities throughout the U.S. have installed (or are making plans to install) municipal Wi-Fi systems with the intent of making Internet access available to all citizens at all times.
- VOIP Use Soars and Threatens To Revolutionize Telecom.
The rapid proliferation of high-speed access to the Internet in homes and offices makes Internet-based telephony a logical next step for a wide variety of businesses and consumers. Most newly installed telephone systems in mid-size to large firms are based on VOIP, with virtually all telephone equipment manufacturers now offering VOIP equipment.
To find out more about these exciting trends and others, check out Plunkett's Telecommunications Industry Almanac 2008, or go to www.plunkettresearch.com and sign up for a subscription to Plunkett's completely up-to-date online database!
About Plunkett Research, Ltd.
Plunkett Research, Ltd. is a leading publisher of complete business research and analysis resources, designed to enable professionals in marketing, research and finance to access complete trends analysis, statistics, technology analysis and financial analysis of the world's most exciting industries. For more information, visit www.plunkettresearch.com, or call 713.932.0000.