Operators need to understand new market realities and consumer behavior – and the flexibility to capitalize on both – to effectively monetize 4G, said industry experts at a 4G strategy summit.
Zoran Vasilijev, a partner at Value Partners, said that operators should take a more integrated approach towards telecoms and IT to create new innovation opportunities by doing away with operational silos, and striking a balance between internal and third-party innovations.
“Simplicity, speed, and practical execution is what will separate the new winners of 4G from the losers,” he said at the 4G Strategy Summit in Singapore last week, adding that winning companies also need to invest in the right talent and gain the deep industry and customer insights required to make smart, well-timed decisions.
Kumaran Singaram, CEO of Indonesian Wimax operator Sitra, put an emphasis on constant innovation and the necessity of having a flexible, integrated OSS/BSS that not only allows operators to bill for new services quickly, but also takes future developments into account, such as OTT partnerships, MVNO services, roaming, Wi-Fi integration, IMS and (in Sitra’s case) TD-LTE migration.
Singaram also advised operators to approach 4G as a game changer. “Don’t come in with 4G if you’re just going to be like the 3G guys.”
That includes pricing, which should be set as a premium over 3G, Singaram said.