The catastrophic disruptions emerging from the global Covid-19 pandemic have delivered a watershed moment for the telecommunications sector, unlocking a catalyst for evolutionary change that will both add value and contribute to the greater good, with opportunity for genuine growth.

The pandemic has, in a sense, ushered in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, presenting significant opportunities for forward-thinking firms within this sector, says management consulting firm Kearney partner Rob van Dale.

“As innumerable other industries grind to a crashing halt, there are opportunities for telecommunications companies to emerge as a crucial fibre in the fabric of our new socioeconomic reality,” he adds, highlighting the key turning point in the history of the global telecommunications industry.

Digital communications channels have proved indispensable during this period and, more than any other industry, telecommunications companies have kept human society functioning during these perilous times.

As lockdowns and working from home become the norm, many telecommunications companies have embraced the move to digitalisation by building ecosystems that have accelerated the convergence of business-to-business and business-to-consumer solutions.

“The rolling lockdowns globally have forced many industries to digitise almost overnight, telecommunications companies have responded and have shown their resilience and agility by rising to the challenge.”

He cites newly formed partnerships in education where operators offer heavily discounted data to university students to enable home study, while, in the health sector, telecommunications companies have developed ehealth services, patient care and geolocation-enabled risk engines to support contact tracing.

“These examples demonstrate a growing awareness [in] this sector. Aligning doing good with doing well could point to the dawn of a new golden age for the telecommunications industry,” he continues.

Considering that connectivity is a critical commodity, the external pressure to roll out more fourth-generation and, increasingly, fifth-generation technologies will probably never be as strong again as it is now.

“While telecommunications companies are anxious to cut costs and tighten belts in order to safeguard shareholders’ investments in the face of a severe economic downturn, investments into network system capacity are not an area that these organisations can afford to sacrifice. It is now clear that these networks will help to fortify human society against the vagaries of an unknowable future,” Van Dale comments.

He adds that the ability of telecommunications companies to drive productivity and adapt fluidly to change will enable them to remain relevant and resilient.

“There are many examples of inspiring solutions within the industry where there has been a shift towards logical cooperation rather than cutthroat competition.

“These trends are emerging as part of a wider pattern in the world in which sharing and partnerships are becoming the norm in a post-pandemic world,” Van Dale explains.

The rapid escalation of services enabling physical distancing and remote working has changed the way the world operates forever.

These firms have helped to facilitate digital solutions for so many aspects of life, including home-schooling infrastructure, mobile offices and healthcare access innovations.