Legacy infrastructure in the telecommunications sector has been unable to keep up with the surge in demand for mobile internet and online video streaming.

Although the sector has come a long way from the days of dial-up internet and hardwired phone lines, it still struggles to keep up with demand. One of the bottlenecks in the industry has been the relative shortfall in talent.

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Telecom giants face a narrow labor pool of talented professionals and experienced engineers who can help them upgrade their infrastructure and maintain on-field equipment. Security concerns and speed are other issues the industry faces.

Here’s how technology is helping the sector deal with these bottlenecks and deliver faster, safer, and better services to everyone:

A pool of talent

FieldEngineer is a digital marketplace that connects employers with field engineers. This gives Telecoms companies the opportunity to employ an expert whenever necessary, and gives workers the flexibility and opportunities needed to be successful as a freelancer. In turn, this benefits customers as it means that companies are able to respond to their demand.

“Using some of the best AI technology, FieldEngineer automates the entire process of finding both jobs and workers in order to provide ease and accessibility,” says Malik Zakaria, founder of FieldEngineer.

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An AI system ensures suitable matches for both companies and contractors with only a three step process, and can provide a number of engineers that match companies desired description and location within seconds. This means that companies no longer have to lose time advertising and looking through CV’s, and that freelance engineers don’t have to worry about constantly searching for work.

The algorithm also provides flexibility for engineers, who can track and adjust their work schedule as they please. This is particularly groundbreaking for freelancers, for who it is often a struggle to manage their schedule. This automated system helps telecom companies engage with the best field engineers more efficiently.

Faster connectivity

The telecoms industry is now squarely focused on the next generation of mobile communication – 5G connectivity. 5G is the 5th generation of wireless broadband services that should be much faster than the existing 4G standard across the world. According to some estimates, this next generation could be rolled out as soon as 2020.

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Better security

The rise in cyber security threats and regulations, such as the GDPR from EU authorities, has compelled a number of telecom companies to adopt network-wide security encryption.

Securing phone calls end-to-end is the need of the hour and nearly all firms in this sector could be pushed to invest in security as the threat grows.

These trends and new technologies are now driving the telecommunications sector forward. With better access to talent, faster networks, and improved security, the future of mobile broadband technology seems encouraging.

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