According to media futurist Gerd Leonhard, 95% of future growth in internet will come from so-called developing countries. Leonhard will be speaking at Capacity Middle East, which takes place alongside Smart Media Middle East in Dubai from March 3 to 6. Leonhard says: We are in the final throes of the complete convergence of telecoms […]
According to media futurist Gerd Leonhard, 95% of future growth in internet will come from so-called developing countries. Leonhard will be speaking at Capacity Middle East, which takes place alongside Smart Media Middle East in Dubai from March 3 to 6.
Leonhard says: We are in the final throes of the complete convergence of telecoms and media.
He calls this telemedia, and it has profound implications for telcos.
Companies competing through ever faster data and higher performing infrastructure will be competing towards zero.
New business models will be required to generate revenue, incorporating services like education, payment and entertainment content, especially video: Cisco estimate that within five years 80% of internet data will be video, primarily from OTT players like Netflix and Facebook.
Companies like Facebook are already sitting on top of the Telcos, using ever more data but with no responsibility for the infrastructure. Such business models will require much improved IP connectivity than we have now.
Interdependence is the only way for the model to grow.
Leonhard is in no doubt that if we are to avoid a dystopian future characterised by mutually inaccessible splinternets or gradually deteriorating internet performance, then we need to reach internationally agreed standards and protocols. He sees the emerging economics of the internet as the main driver in this.
According to him devices which need to communicate effectively and securely with each other can only do so through interdependent networks, operating with high level encryption.
Many people recognise parts of these issues, few people have a truly holistic view. Getting this story across is my mission, he says.
