Why Business Planning Finally Is On The Front Burner

Surprise, surprise. Communications service providers (CSPs) say they are being pushed by economic challenges, declining voice and text revenues, and QoS issues on data-intensive networks to consider revamping their operating models and adopting new “transformational technologies” to keep their businesses open. An Accenture survey found a whopping 93 percent of CSP execs are looking for new or improved tools to plan, design and track traffic on broadband or cable networks. A third of them admitted they need to “significantly revamp” the tools they use for broadband deployment, while another 60 percent would consider adding some tools. All wireless operators polled said managing QoS is the biggest challenge they face, followed by 83 percent of wireline providers and 73 percent of cablecos. Regarding new tech investment, 75 percent of wireless operators and ISPs plan to deploy LTE in the next three to five years, and all wireline providers polled said they will swap all or part of the cable used to connect homes and businesses from copper to fiber.