Telecommunications take in a broad range of communications media, providing users with many different options. These options are transforming how we work, shop, spend our leisure time and, generally, how we live.
As this technology keeps changing and advancing, it’s vital to keep up to date with the latest developments in telecommunications. Here’s our round-up of emerging trends.
VoIP and UCaaS
Nothing illustrates the versatility of telecommunications in the 21st century better than voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services. Increasingly, VoIP is becoming a part of unified communications services for business.
Businesses and organisations are using cloud communications to integrate all their form of communication – visual, audio, text and image-based – using VoIP as the underlying technology to allow them to do this.
Going beyond the established elements of VoIP systems, such as call handling, call recording, multi-site capabilities and flexible geographic numbering, more and more VoIP business services now provide additional features.
Together, these combined call and communications are known as unified communications as a service (UCaaS).
In addition to standard VoIP features, they can include:
- Web and video conferencing
- Instant messaging
- Team collaboration platforms.
The chief advantage of UCaaS is that it offers efficiencies and cost benefits to companies wishing to upgrade their communications setup or install a brand new system.
This brings us to another important development related to VoIP, the wider adoption of 5G.
5G Connectivity on the Rise
As 5G rollout in the UK gathers pace, more and more businesses will need to familiarise themselves with this technology. While there’s plenty of focus on mobile connectivity, 5G will also transform VoIP communications.
Key benefits of 5G include:
- Improved mobile internet connectivity
- Superfast speeds
- Shorter response times.
During data transfer, 5G eliminates packet loss and jitter.
VoIP users should experience the benefits of 5G with improved call quality, faster connections when making or receiving calls, and increased call capacity.
The Impact of AI on VoIP
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an essential part of telecommunications in various ways.
It is a valuable analytical tool for examining and assessing the interactions between agents and customers in call centre operations. It also enables companies to get a clear picture of the issues users most inquire about. Data can be used predictively too, to improves systems and customer service.
But AI is also influencing the technical capabilities of VoIP. It can help reduce latency in VoIP calls, detecting any quality issues early on. The biggest concern with VoIP is its processing speed. AI is the most efficient technology for enabling VoIP systems to handle data more rapidly.
AI can also help implement real-time troubleshooting where there are issues with low bandwidth and incorrect network configurations. It will maximise the efficiency of telecommunications networks by proactively monitoring, analysing, and fixing them.
Edge Computing via Telecommunications
The cloud does not have an unlimited number of service providers. Essentially, a few select companies provide the infrastructure that other companies rely on. The largest of these public cloud providers is Amazon.
Consequently, there’s a dawning realisation that centralised webspace on the cloud is limited, and to meet the demand for immediate, and essential, connectivity, providers need to look to the edge of the cloud.
Edge computing is all about geographic distribution, computing near or at the source of data. This isn’t replacing the cloud, but rather bringing the cloud closer to users.
How does this happen? With improved telecommunications networks enabling companies that depend on high-speed, low latency connections to have servers and appliances close by.
In practice, this will support applications such as automated vehicles or robotics, where data transmission needs to be instantaneous, in real-time.
One everyday example is the idea of putting AI chips into virtual assistant devices such as Alexa, increasing their local processing power significantly.
Closely connected to this is the increased uptake of the Internet of Things (IoT).
Data-Driven Development
Data is at the core of telecommunications. The fast, reliable transmission of data enables the high levels of connectivity required to power the Internet of Things, and to deliver the kind of capable communications businesses require.
There are various facets to this data-driven development, such as:
- Interconnected devices, sensors, infrastructure, and computing – enabling new forms of management, monitoring, remote working, and predictive maintenance
- High-resolution content – with smartphone and other mobile devices now built into people’s daily routines, and with the spread of remote working, there is increasing demand for higher quality visual content, including images and video
- Satellite-based technologies – increasing use of satellite communications offers improvements in connectivity for IoT devices, and for handling messages in ways that are secure but transparent
- Fibre-optic sensor systems – Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBG) are sensors embedded in fibre optics, and they measure strain, temperature, and pressure while being immune to electromagnetic interference.
Future-proof Telecommunications for VoIP
Telecommunications are continuing to progress, providing the essential infrastructure and connectivity that modern workplaces are looking for.
VoIP services are ideally positioned to help enterprises and organisations reap the benefits of advanced telecommunications, offering practical, versatile, and scalable communications solutions.
Find out about the benefits of becoming a VoIP reseller. Please call us on 03300881182, email sales@voip.co.uk or fill in our contact form and we’ll be back in touch asap.