Accelerating digital revolution: Key for all businesses

Technology and innovation have long been acknowledged as critical growth drivers that help companies and businesses compete more successfully. The way we think about connectedness has changed dramatically in recent years as a result of technological breakthroughs. Innovative and newfangled technologies are already affecting fundamental changes in our daily lives as well as increasing productivity and improving consumers’ overall standard of living. On World Internet Day today, it is important to highlight the significance and relevance of connectivity.

As demand from consumers and industries increases, telecommunications infrastructure development is crucial. It is critical to underline that networks are the bedrock of digitization, an element that is critical in today's fast-paced world. Telecommunications businesses are responsible for providing connectivity; as a result, they are always striving towards new and innovative ways to increase their services while maintaining service continuity. The world is changing at a rate and intensity that has never been seen before. The pandemic has thrown the world's order into disarray, causing uncertainty in all aspects of society. 

When we look back in history, we can see that a similar tragedy occurred in the form of the Spanish Flu, which created havoc in 1920.There was little optimism at the moment in terms of communicating with one another and handling day-to-day operations. People had no choice but to stay indoors with the bare minimum of resources. As the world fights COVID-19 a century later, we can observe how technologies have taken over some of the important roles in crisis management and aided the global response. 

If history is any guide, this pandemic will undoubtedly result in accelerated technical change in society. It will teach us how to better some of the things we already have via innovation or expanded accessibility. The inventions that result from this pandemic will have not just short-term but also unanticipated, unimaginable long-term consequences.

Digital progress is fueled by connectivity

Today's society is more globally connected than it has ever been. According to reports, there were over 624 million internet users in India in 2021, with 47 million new users (+8.2%) between 2020 and 2021.The volume of digital traffic will continue to grow exponentially as more people and businesses come online and more companies invent new ways to serve their needs – cloud services, machine-to-machine communications (M2M), and the internet of things, for example, are all new and rapidly growing phenomena.

Will the infrastructure on which society today relies be able to keep up with the increased digital engagement?

As our reliance on the internet and mobile phones has increased, the proper operation of digital infrastructure has become increasingly important. Despite rising demand, this infrastructure has maintained a high level of service and has proven to be quite resistant to breakdowns. 

Strong digital infrastructure is predicted to have a disruptive impact on practically all businesses. Smart cities, smart automobiles, mobility, smart home and assisted living, smart industry, and smart healthcare are among the potential digital infrastructure application sectors that have received a lot of interest of late. India's continuing investment in digital infrastructure has made it a desirable market for multinational firms. India's flagship programme, Digital India, is at the center of the country's efforts to create a digital nation. 

Digital infrastructure development is crucial for all segments

Just as power, water, and road infrastructure enable us to go about our daily lives, digital equipment and systems are also highly important in today's lives because they assist us in making sense of the huge amount of data we are confronted with. The most visible aspect of digital infrastructure is the availability of dependable and fit-for-purpose mobile, fixed phone, and broadband services. We wouldn't be able to access the digital services we rely on every day, such as banking, healthcare, entertainment and communication with family, friends, and coworkers, if we didn't have this.

Improved broadband connectivity and location-based technology are also helping the agriculture, construction, and mining industries innovate in rural areas. Digital infrastructure is critical for delivery of services to remote areas. New technologies are being employed in urban and rural communities to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and services of infrastructure networks ranging from transportation to electricity.

Telecom infrastructure will be a focus for innovation with 5G and Edge Computing

Leading economies are focusing on 5G as the next step in mobile technology evolution. It promises improved connectivity,increased network speeds and bandwidth, and extremely low latency. 5G will usher in a new age in the telecom business, and it will be an interesting ride to follow. Along with 5G, edge computing is also opening a world of new opportunities across manufacturing, transport, gaming, finance and more. Edge computing  is a must for 5G success. This should be viewed in the context of the enterprise opportunity, since it will be an enabler for many broader use cases, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and potentially bundled with other enterprise solutions like 5G private networks.

5G and edge computing are intimately related technologies that are poised to greatly improve application performance and enable real-time processing of massive volumes of data. Mobile edge computing minimises latency by introducing processing capabilities inside the network, closer to the end user. 5G speeds are up to ten times faster than 4G. Instead of delaying 5G coverage and device adoption, 4G and edge computing can assist speed it. Edge compute and 4G were commercialised to provide "good enough" capabilities for 5G services to fall back on. And they'll get around 5G's geographic and device coverage constraints. While 4G + edge computing will not be as fast or as cost-effective as 5G, they will suffice as a foundation.

Assuring safety of digital infrastructure and preparedness to meet future demands

Infrastructure that falls short of acceptable consumer expectations will have a negative impact on our daily lives as well as India's economic growth. Infrastructure delivery necessitates large expenditures and long lead periods, so planning ahead to meet changing corporate and community needs is critical. Due to its huge size and dispersed population, India faces certain particular obstacles in delivering infrastructure. The government and the private sector are working hand in hand to create the proper environment for investment in digital infrastructure that will satisfy the requirements of all Indians now and in the future, in order to realise our vision of transforming from a developing to a developed country.

The article has been written by Devesh Garg - Chief Sales and Marketing Officer -Summit DigiTel