According to Arcep’s latest report on the electronic communications market, 1.6 million French people were identified on 5G networks in the third quarter of 2021, i.e. a number which has doubled in one quarter. As a result, the need for wide, secure, high-speed, 24-hour connectivity has grown.
5G adapts to the rise of connected devices
Market research firm IoT Analytics estimates that the number of IoT connections will exceed 30 billion by 2025. That’s almost four connected devices per person, on average. In order to relieve the pressure that this growth in connectivity places on telecommunications providers, priority must be given to investments in 5G infrastructure in view of the extended mobility possibilities it offers.
While a good thing, launching a 5G network can come with major financial risk, among other challenges. Competitive pressures are considerable, and network performance matters a great deal when it comes to acquiring and retaining new markets. The establishment of a network must imperatively be the subject of judicious decisions so that the investments produce the expected results.
So telcos shouldn’t – and shouldn’t – jump in blindly when considering investments. Also, location intelligence and big data allow them to benefit from high precision when it comes to optimizing investments, increasing marketing efficiency and improving customer satisfaction.
Optimal visibility
Location data and analytics provide telcos and communications service providers (CSPs) with highly accurate information to make informed decisions about where to invest in 5G. With this information, organizations can not only plan their strategic expansion, but also ensure better management of assets, operations, customers and products.
For example, with this information, operators can identify the locations most sought after by specific populations and determine what they need bandwidth for. They can use this data to gain insight into customer location and mobility, mapping existing infrastructure and competitor coverage against market requirements to spot new opportunities. By creating complex customer profiles rich in demographic information, such as age, income and lifestyle preferences, there is no longer any need to speculate on where the operator should or should not. not deploy new 5G antennas.
Additionally, by mapping a population of consumers and businesses in a specific region and then aggregating that information by age, income, or type of organization, for example, it is possible to visibility on the market prospects offered by this region.
This type of granular location intelligence greatly enriches existing data and is a key pillar of data integrity, which refers to the overall quality and completeness of a data set. When operators have a clear view of things like zonal boundaries, travel patterns and customer environments, they can anticipate demographic changes and future telecommunications needs in a given location. They can then use this insight to develop a data-driven 5G expansion strategy. Failing this, companies will have to face losses due to all too frequent trial and error when setting up such a network.
The Benefits of Location Accuracy
Improved location accuracy has many benefits for telecom operators looking to accurately determine where to locate, market and deliver 5G. They can gain rich insights into commercial, residential, and mixed-use locations through scalable, easy-to-use datasets. As a result, operators are able to carry out very precise in-depth analyzes for marketing and customer service purposes in order to meet market demand.
Additionally, with complete and accurate location information, operators gain a holistic view of actionable locations in which products and services can be delivered to current and new customers. This improves the return on investment and serves the customers adequately. This greater location accuracy also provides better performance for subscribers. Companies that deploy fixed wireless services are indeed often faced with subscription cancellations due to signal inconsistency, which usually results from misalignment of sites with network assets. Location-based data allows providers to adapt their networks to ensure signal consistency and serviceability as sites and structures change.
The future of 5G
Location intelligence plays a critical role in accelerating the development of new broadband services and driving return on investment in a 5G world. This intelligence greatly contributes to data integrity, which helps optimize the network, target customers and deliver services. Telecommunications operators thus have the assurance that their investments are not made blindly.
As bandwidth availability is strained by streaming services and an interconnected world, providers now have the opportunity to deliver on the promise of a more efficient and more reliable by planning and deploying 5G services based on location intelligence and big data.