Now, as internet- and software-based options become more sophisticated and robust, the case for high-spec private WANs and specialist multi-protocol label switching services (MPLS) is diminishing. What’s next, asks Sue Tabbitt?

Bengt Nordström, CEO of consulting firm Northstream, looks at 5G roll-outs around the world so far, early use cases and those to come. He outlines three primary areas where he thinks mobile operators must make big changes if they are to gain maximum benefit from 5G.

Could edge computing shift the balance of power from the big public cloud providers like Amazon Web Services to network operators and and help them address a $4 trillion market? How well do operators understand this and what are they doing about it? Sue Tabbitt investigates.

Tefficient has published its twenty-fourth report on mobile data use, analysing 115 operators' data from the first half of this year.

Professor John Davies, Chief Researcher, Applied Research, BT, talked to Annie Turner about the role for telecoms companies in the IoT ecosystem we call smart cities and the opportunities beyond connectivity.

Operators’ data is often siloed, inconsistent, incompatible and incomplete. What can they do to ensure it’s of a high enough quality to enable analytics, AI and automation? By Kate O’Flaherty.

Ahead of his participation in the Smart IoT Connect event, Dimitrios Spiliopoulos, IoT Sales Enablement, O2 (Telefónica UK), shares his insights on how telcos and cities can better work together.

Will operators ever give up control and invite the wider world to join them in driving new digital service innovations using  standards-based APIs? By Sue Tabbitt.

Smart city is no longer a topic about the future. It is on governmental and municipal agendas, as well as private initiatives and various large-scale discussions across different industries, writes Bengt Nordström*, CEO at consultancy Northstream.

John Strand of Strand Consult outlines 13 questions he would like to ask China’s government.

5G’s success is tied to the speed, reliability and capacity of the other networks it will complement and augment, including 4G, but most especially fibre. Almost half of the respondents who work for operators said sufficient fibre is the top critical factor for 5G’s success.

The complementary technologies of network functions virtualisation (NFV) and software-defined networks (SDN) have made slower progress than was hoped. 

To make a good return on investment, operators need to pick the right use cases. Senior figures from gaming, broadcasting, transport and smart cities explain what they need.

Stefano Gastaut, CEO, Vodafone IoT, talks to Annie Turner about the key role of telecom infrastructure in smart cities, and how well the two parties understand each other.