TECHNOLOGY The Year Ahead in Telecom 5G may continue to grab headlines in 2021, but the telecom industry will be dominated by the edge and by automation, enabling service provider networks to adapt to shifting traffic and usage patterns. By Steve Alexander / Ciena T he year 2020 was like no other, bringing untold disruption to everyone’s way of life. The telecom industry held up remarkably well to the unprecedented level of strain on networks and consumer services as workers became remote, video content consumption soared, and “Zoombombing” became a well-known word. Behind the scenes, and despite the sometimes-literal roadblocks COVID-19 threw in their paths, global service providers continued to roll out 5G, explore innovative automation technologies, and push the boundaries of network performance. As dependence on networks shows no signs of slowing, what does the next year have in store for the industry? TAKING INVESTMENT TO THE EDGE IN 2021 5G networks are primed to deliver faster web browsing and video streaming with reduced latency, both very appealing for consumers. But 5G can do so much more once networks have matured. Advanced 5G services such as rich augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), cloud gaming, telemedicine and Industry 4.0 (the connected manufacturing revolution) all require reliable networks that can deliver low latency and high bandwidth – and also high levels of intelligence. Networks must continue to get faster, closer and smarter, utilizing automation intelligence and software to deliver on the hype of these exciting services. A part of building faster, closer 48 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | and smarter networks is to build out the edge, where up to five times more data centers are needed than are available today. There is already heavy investment in building out edge data-center sites to bring the cloud closer to users, and this investment will continue at pace in 2021. Carriers know they need to continue to focus on building out their edge infrastructure in these smaller data-center sites, leveraging edge cloud capabilities. This will mean that services can be processed closer to users, improving user experience and delivering on the bold promises of 5G. MEETING NEW NETWORK REQUIREMENTS WILL BECOME AUTOMATIC Carriers know that the demands consumers place on networks show no signs of slowing as lives become more digital and distributed. That means network rollout will continue at pace, but networks must now be built to adapt on their own. Carriers have already taken steps to make this happen, but in 2021, there will be even more use of software and analytics to improve the way optical networks function. Advanced software capabilities will redefine how network providers engineer, operate and monetize their optical networks. These software solutions were originally focused on extracting more value from existing network assets. In 2021, consumers will see these software solutions play a key role in new network builds, giving service providers the ability to fine-tune, | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 www.broadbandcommunities.com