The next year, fiber optic technology is ready to complete the transition that will replace the old copper network (ADSL) that still remains in some areas of the country. This is what Finetwork, a Spanish company specialized in fiber and mobile phone services, predicts. Additionally, Finetwork has identified seven technological innovations that will have a significant impact on the telecommunications sector in the coming months. In the field of mobile connectivity, the company points out that there will be a significant advancement in “native” 5G (5G SA or standalone 5G), which offers significantly better speeds and response times than previous technologies.
Among the trends identified by Finetwork, the growth of cybersecurity, the adoption of cloud platforms, and the use of big data for customer management stand out. At the same time, the operator foresees a qualitative shift towards customer-centric value propositions, combining automation technologies and the contribution of human talent. In this sense, it is important to highlight that the company, based in Elda (Alicante), stands out for offering a completely human customer service, provided by specialized operators based in the country.
Specifically, Finetwork identifies the following 7 trends in the telecom market in Spain:
5G: As the deployment of 5G networks in Spain expands and use cases for technologies based on it develop, the potential of this new generation of mobile networks also grows. True to its commitment to offer the highest quality and speed, Finetwork will offer this service to its customers starting in the spring of 2024.
FTTH: According to market analysis conducted by Finetwork, over 85% of Spaniards have fiber optics contracted in their homes, while only 10.15% have ADSL. The remaining 3.83% do not have access to fixed Internet in their homes. In 2024, the company estimates that the ADSL share will be residual, almost disappearing. Conversely, FTTH (fiber to the home), which is already present in more than 14.4 million Spanish households, will continue to rapidly expand across the country.
VoLTE – VoWIFI: These technologies offer the possibility of making voice calls over the LTE/4G mobile network or wifi, respectively. This allows for simultaneous high-quality voice calls and online browsing. Additionally, as these calls are made through LTE or wifi, no additional data is consumed, only call minutes. These functionalities are increasingly demanded by customers, which is why Finetwork is already enabling them on its network. Additionally, making VoLTE-VoWIFI calls requires having a compatible smartphone.
Cloud computing: In 2024, according to Finetwork, there will be a generalization of the use of the cloud by telecommunications operators in Spain. For the company based in Elda (Alicante), there will be a generalization of the cloud in the core systems of companies in the sector, including all customer management tools, billing, etc.
Big data – Machine learning: Advanced data analysis is crucial for optimizing companies’ processes. For Finetwork, technologies such as big data and Artificial Intelligence (mainly machine learning) favor the improvement in customer experience, although the final interaction with consumers must maintain a human touch. Ultimately, process optimization technologies lead to greater business sustainability.
Cybersecurity: The proliferation and increasing sophistication of cyberattacks are driving telecommunications operators to redouble their efforts to protect their assets and customer information, even ahead of what new cybersecurity legislation establishes. One of the challenges that Finetwork foresees continuing to advance in 2024 is end-to-end network protection.
Software-defined networks: Lastly, it is worth noting the efforts that network operators in Spain are dedicating to incorporating innovations in their networks to gain efficiency, flexibility, and robustness. In this context, there is a generalization of trends such as the virtualization of network functions and the implementation of Software-defined Networks (SDN), on which the implementation of Artificial Intelligence also grows.
“2024 will mark a turning point in the maturity and adoption of technologies such as 5G, cloud, big data, machine learning, or SDN, among others. All of these are innovations with enormous potential, which will result in a progressive improvement in the service to the customers provided by companies in this sector. At the same time, leading operators will tend to implement disruptive technologies in a more rational manner, particularly in the interaction with the end customer. For Finetwork, human attention provides a value that cannot be replaced, but complemented, by digital tools,” comments Carlos Valero, Chief Technology Officer of Finetwork.