The telco industry is one of the most sensitive to digital transformation and it represents one of the main forces driving the growth of our country.

The presence of an adequate telecommunications infrastructure is essential for the competitiveness of the country in many sectors: industry and commerce, the education system, transport, energy and environment, agriculture, public administration, health, and public safety.

Only through the development of these sectors it will be possible to contribute to the start of a new macroeconomic cycle and to guarantee a system capable of meeting the challenge of “future-proofing work”.  In this moment of crisis, this sector is once again demonstrating the strategic role and importance of telecommunications networks. Digital connectivity, which in this emergency phase allows us to stay at home, is in fact an essential common good, not only for work and distance learning, but also for social cohesion.

Telecommunications networks are guaranteeing a good service also from a qualitative point of view. Thanks to the constant traffic monitoring and the correct functioning of the network, but also to all the configurations, and the architectural and transmission changes implemented, it has been possible to avoid traffic lines’ congestion, or even worse, their collapse.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND RESILIENCE

The lockdown made more evident the crucial role played by communication networks and has shown how Italy is a country unable to plan, but very quick to adapt to changes in difficult times. In fact, thanks to the functioning of networks, it has been possible to keep society connected, and to guarantee the operation of health infrastructures and the functioning of businesses.

We all realized the importance of networks to transfer informations, work, shop and even more. Telecommunications companies have played a key role in ensuring country's resilience and have been able to respond appropriately to usage overload.

The intense domestic use of streaming video content, teleworking and distance learning have produced, on an annual basis, a strong growth in traffic that has increased daily by about 50% in the fixed and mobile networks.

In a scenario like the one we are living today, the reliability of networks and the quality of the connectivity service have become more important. Customer support activities have suffered, and contact center personnel had to manage a significantly higher number of user requests from home.

In the post-pandemic 'new normal', telecommunications companies are certainly well placed to support new customer demands and potential traffic peaks. Telcos represent a catalyst that can accelerate a digitization process that is already underway.

Despite several major challenges, the pandemic-induced crisis has also offered new opportunities for telecommunications companies by facilitating faster deployment of 5G services: from telemedicine to ultra-high-definition entertainment.

Thus, network performance and resilience enhancements become a key requirement for economic recovery, as they can directly influence many industry sectors by enabling the implementation of innovative solutions such as Industry 4.0, AI, Edge/Cloud, and smart agriculture.