WHAT MAKES THE WORLD COMMUNICATION AWARDS SO RELEVANT?

Our WCA judges participate in a Q&A to

explore key topics in the telecom industry right now:

Why do you think the WCAs are an important event in the industry calendar?

The WCAs recognise the crucial role of the telecoms infrastructure and services in delivering value and social benefit globally.

What technology areas do you expect to generate interesting entries in 2020?

How the use of tech can overcome travel and contact constraints of COVID19.

Do you expect to see more emphasis on company culture and diversity in 2020?

Culture, yes. Diversity I'm not sure.

What do you see as the biggest trend in telecoms at the moment?

The implementation of past big promises: virtualisation, edge computing, cloud and 5G businesses cases.

Why do you think the WCAs are an important event in the industry calendar?

The WCAs have established themselves as the Oscars of the telecoms world, a much needed opprtunity to celebrate success!

What technology areas do you expect to generate interesting entries in 2020?

There are a couple of genuinely fascinating technology areas that poised to grab some headlines in 2020.The first is edge computing, in part catalysed by the arrival of 5G and the significant focus on mobile (or multi-access, depending on who you ask). 

The second is AI/machine learning. It's been talked about a lot in hypotheticals over the last few years, but 2020 could be the year where we see some really interesting applications in the telecoms space.

Do you expect to see more emphasis on company culture and diversity in 2020?

I think most companies have become pretty switched on to questions of culture and diversity. It's very common to hear CEOs talking about their organisation's mission as one of making the world a better place, rather than making loads of cash!

What do you see as the biggest trend in telecoms at the moment?

There is an overarching trend towards IT-isation in telecoms. We tend to think of the telecoms industry as quite progressive, but in recent years it has become quite staid, with increasingly embedded practices and 20th century thinking. Leading players are shaking that off, implementing new systems and initiatives, from going cloud native, to implementing AI within their networks. 

Why do you think the WCAs are an important event in the industry calendar?

It is a real global event covering contributions from telco related service providers as key vendors. The contributions are evaluated in depth and objectively arbitrated by a significant number of independent judges, well representing the various areas of our industry in terms of work experience, industry knowledge and proven track records.

What technology areas do you expect to generate interesting entries in 2020?

All nine awards in the technology and innovation category well representthe current applicable industry trends. The Internet of Things and and Data Innovation Awards are, in my view, the most compelling and exciting ones in terms of scale and transformational change potential. The success of these are obviously closely linked with the topics covered by two other awards: Security Leadership and Operator Efficiency. 

Do you expect to see more emphasis on company culture and diversity in 2020?

Absolutely! Companies which aspire a customer-focused service culture, delivered day after day by custome-centred employees, are getting one significant step ahead in the digital transformation race. Continuous investments in people by boosting their customer and digital skills are becoming major differentiators in our industry. Additionally, demonstrating social and environmental leadership will make a further difference in attracting and keeping skilled and motivated digital literacy staff. The new generations are undoubtedly looking for complementary working experiences, something which is more than just doing the job. 

What do you see as the biggest trend in telecoms at the moment?

Obviously, there is 5G which is starting to get traction on the transformation of our industry in terms of IoT, digital, smart cities and B2B innovations. As it requires massive investments, efficiency improvements will have to take place in other company activities in order to properly support all of this. Another increasing trend is everything around security. The billions of emerging sensors definitively need to be timely secured to prevent attacks. 

Why do you think the WCAs are an important event in the industry calendar?

In an industry in complete transformation such as ours, it is key to recognise and reward innovation, creativity and people who have the guts to push the boundaries. 

What technology areas do you expect to generate interesting entries in 2020?

I can see some interesting entries for things such as AI, cloud, edge computing, IoT, 5G. 

Do you expect to see more emphasis on company culture and diversity in 2020?

Yes, I think the diversity issue is really picking up pace. 

What do you see as the biggest trend in telecoms at the moment?

Cloudification, programmable telecom, self-serve.

Why do you think the WCAs are an important event in the industry calendar?

The event provides focus for excellence within the sector.

What technology areas do you expect to generate interesting entries in 2020?

The area I expect to generate the most interesting entries is 5G. 

Do you expect to see more emphasis on company culture and diversity in 2020?

Yes, more emphasis on both company culture and diversity.

What do you see as the biggest trend in telecoms at the moment?

The biggest trends in telecoms right now are supply chain issues in 5G, healthcare in mobile and delivering gigabit speeds. 

Why do you think the WCAs are an important event in the industry calendar?

They should be! But I am sometimes concerned by the quality and scope of the entries received.

What technology areas do you expect to generate interesting entries in 2020?

Areas like 5G rollout, network resisilience and disaster planning.

Do you expect to see more emphasis on company culture and diversity in 2020?

No, I think telcos will be focusing more on reducing headcount, so company culture will take a backseat.

What do you see as the biggest trend in telecoms at the moment?

The biggest trends in telecoms right now is managing network loads due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.

Why do you think the WCAs are an important event in the industry calendar?

We need to think beyond the usual business models for the telecom industry. Figuring out what new use cases will work with which consumers and enterprises isn't an easy proposition. WCA provides a platform for the next wave of budding entrepreneurs to show off new thinking.

What technology areas do you expect to generate interesting entries in 2020?

COVID-19 has forced society to adapt - UK cabinet meetings are now on zoom, court hearings have shifted online and bank staffers are executing transactions from their homes over secure systems. The pandemic has sparked an instant time-saving revolution in medical care with video and telephone consultations with GPs. Before lockdowns, a great number of older people often went days without speaking to anyone. Many older people have now undergone an involuntary tech crash course, now have new friendships over Whatsapp groups and by using videoconferencing. 

Do you expect to see more emphasis on company culture and diversity in 2020?

Working from home - something that businesses had never contemplated before is now the norm.Whatever the outcome of the #COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing could be somethong that stays with us, with people avoiding close-contact situations, we will see the rise of remote first working. 5G and high speed fibre broadband will be key enablers. The fall in commuting would slash emissions, pollution and rush-hour traffic while boosting national happiness. 

What do you see as the biggest trend in telecoms at the moment?

The biggest trend for the 5G industry must be commercialization of hypothetical use cases into complelling business cases for key industries to leverage the benefits of 5G and IoT. Building new B2B paratnerships will be the key for success.