Widespread deployment of 5G brings with it the promise of a network of connectivity with greatly improved latency and downtime. To reach full 5G capabilities, telecom service providers would be required to reach enough density to monetize the network by installing 5,000 to 20,000 5G small cells in every major city within the next five to ten years. This brings the network much closer to mobile phones and every type of IoT sensor or device that needs connectivity. The explosive increase in bandwidth will open new possibilities, from remote surgeries guided from New York City to a small African village, to enabling new ways for humans and robots to work together on a factory floor. Full 5G coverage is an ambitious goal, requiring the biggest telecom players to invest $20 billion annually in the US.

The telecommunications industry will thrive, based on the capability of its service providers to innovate as they move ahead with implementing advancing technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are 2 digital forces already impacting how work is performed, whether it's your favorite beverage being prepared by a robot barista, or virtual assistants handling increasingly larger volumes of requests flooding customer interaction centers. To date, the role of AI within the telecom industry has been limited to chatbots which automate the routine customer enquiry, extracting the intent to ensure a customer is routed quickly to the proper channel. Telecom providers, however, are increasingly moving towards using AI to not only lower operating costs and improve network efficiency, but to also improve the customer-engagement experience. For example, by using exploratory data analysis that looks for specific patterns, AI can also detect anomalies in the network or even predict the possibility of a dire event happening.

Mr. Jones is planning a vacation for the summer. He looks up travel destinations, flight tickets, and travel sites offering special summer vacation deals. Skyscanner, or Airbnb, he forms a customer touch point with that business. And, the sum total of all his interactions with that business, from the first interaction i.e. browsing through their site to the last interaction i.e. booking his holiday package, forms his customer journey. Ensuring a pleasant and fruitful customer journey for customers like Mr. Jones is imperative to business success.