5G opens up many opportunities, but telecom operators have yet to make the most of these opportunities.

Nowadays, telecommunications providers are overwhelmed by numerous Internet services, especially those of the hyperscalers. AWS, Google, Microsoft: They all use the operator’s (mobile) network to earn a lot of money themselves. It goes without saying that those responsible for the network want butter with the fish.

Europe is considering a contribution from the big tech players for new infrastructure and the EU is making a plan to keep cloud data in Europe. That’s one way to address this imbalance, but according to Anand Swaminathan, EVP and Global Head of CMT at Infosys, there is another way.

“In the past, connectivity was more of a commodity for telecom operators,” he says. “Now we’re noticing that vendors are looking at connectivity much more as a competitive advantage.”

Unique position

Infosys is uniquely positioned as an umbrella organization that brings together all the elements for telecom providers. As a service company, it has no hardware or software, spectrum or fiber. The organization forms the spider web that brings all participants together and integrates the systems.

The market we serve is huge because hardware and software problems will never solve themselves.

Anand Swaminathan, EVP and Global Head CMT at Infosys

“We understand the sector of the industry, the challenges and all the internal applications that the vendors use. We bundle this knowledge into one whole so that the customer can work with it,” says Swaminathan. In fact, Infosys does everything together, from logistics programs to helpdesk portals and CRM.

He points to the enormous challenges in the telecommunications world. “The market in which we operate is huge because hardware and software problems will never solve themselves. Everything has to do with technology, we do that with Infosys.”

Challenging telecom companies

In our conversation, we find that telecom providers are getting stronger out of the box need to think about offering their services. There are numerous benefits that 5G will bring, such as network slicing, that give companies the opportunity to look at projects differently. For example, a company can think about a private 5G network to remotely monitor and manage production units.

“That’s why we often challenge telecom operators because we always need them for their network. Since we are at the center of all conversations, we also have to address the issues ourselves.”

Because the company operates globally, Swaminathan sees numerous opportunities that vendors are currently missing out on. In addition, many countries in Europe are close to each other: quite a challenge. If you want to do something in the EU, you can choose from many providers. “The one with the most developed overall offer wins the contract.”

We often challenge telecom operators because we need their network.

Anand Swaminathan, EVP and Global Head CMT at Infosys

5G network

In the interview, Swaminathan emphasizes that telecommunications providers must ensure that they remain relevant. “The pandemic has upset many people. For example, MPLS network technology suddenly became redundant because nobody was in the office and everyone was working from home. They should look for new options, including private networks, to diversify their offerings.”

A recent survey by the industry organization Beltug shows that 18 percent of large Belgian companies are interested in a private 5G network. There’s a huge opportunity there. However, companies continue to wait impatiently for the various promises of 5G to be fulfilled. The networks can already be rolled out today, but we still have to wait for concrete 5G-exclusive services.

After all, the providers have to do more than just build 5G antennas. In order to deliver all the benefits, including network slicing and reliable, low-latency connections, to businesses in a relevant way, the back end must also be ready. The rollout of such a 5G standalone is in full swing.