According to a report from Juniper Research, operators will find revenue growth through monetisation of enterprise markets, such as cellular internet of things (IoT), to capitalise on the $900 billion global telecommunications market in 2024.
Despite their significant investment in 5G networks, operators have struggled to monetise the widespread adoption of 5G by consumers. Failing to gain a significant price premium over 4G services has been a key issue.
Turning to enterprises, the report recommends that operators must invest in cloud technologies that enable new services such as CAMARA-compliant application programming interfaces (APIs) to better manage IoT services over networks. An API will enable third-party software to communicate with specific applications present in telecommunications networks.
5G is the key enabling platform for operator growth in the IoT market, owing to the high degree of software‑defined processes allowing the swift deployment of APIs. However, to maximise this growth, operators must provide APIs that enable real-time management of devices, remote configuration, and integration with third-party solutions. This will position operator networks well to capitalise on the opportunity for IoT connectivity revenue, a market forecast to grow from $10 billion in 2023, to $23 billion by 2028.
Commenting on the report, Benjamin Clark, research co-author, said, “Despite the investment into new technologies, strategies to monetise networks via mobile subscribers have fallen short. Future business models must create value for enterprises and new revenue streams that monetise through enterprise activities.”
