The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the global economy. The telecom industry is no exception as it faces key strategic challenges whilst continuing to deliver infrastructure and crucial services to stakeholders. To thrive in this economic downturn, telcos require sturdy business continuity plans and scalable systems to aid operational effectiveness and provide uninterrupted services.
For telecom operators, network usage saw an upward surge during the initial stages of the pandemic, meaning that consumer services were not significantly impacted. However, disruptions to retail, supply chains, and workforce present operational challenges that will have an ongoing influence on future growth. As telecom operators reevaluate strategies to tackle the situation, innovative practices and tools should be employed to define operational strategies.
Key challenges faced by telecom operators:
- POS resellers face issues with credit to replenish stock
- Subscribers face issues accessing resellers for top-up
- POS resellers face challenges with the supply of printed vouchers
- POS resellers are not receiving adequate support from dealers or operators due to limited workforce availability
- Increased need to digitize end-to-end distribution for efficiency and control
- Cost pressures limiting the capacity for reseller incentives
- Increased emphasis on data-driven planning
In general, telecom operators have already previously faced these challenges, albeit on a smaller scale. Accordingly, operators have adopted best practices and solutions to address these issues. It is indispensable for the telecom industry to boost digital transformation efforts to maintain reliable connectivity and provide adequate customer experience regardless of the global situation. Similarly, robust and scalable digital distribution platforms will ensure revenue targets can be met.
Telecom operators can reap concrete benefits from employing such methods, as the industry reverts to normalcy and recovers from the impacts of the pandemic. These solutions provide insights and tools, which will ensure that their businesses are prepared for crises that would ordinarily disrupt revenue growth.
We have produced a guide to help telecom operators prepare for crises and implement innovative solutions to protect their businesses and accelerate revenue generation.
You can download the guide here:
