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Internet access is becoming more and more available in even the most rural areas.
Internet access is becoming more and more available in even the most rural areas.
In just the last couple of years, VoLTE, or Voice over Long Term Evolution, has begun to revolutionize voice service for mobile communications, and 2017 promises to be the biggest year yet for VoLTE.
During 2016 we experienced a surge in demand for higher capacity networks, fuelled by an increased uptake of cloud services, smartphone proliferation and a drive for more unified communications.
The mobile messaging landscape saw some big changes in 2016 and this evolution looks set to continue over the next 12 months.
In 2017 in many developing and emerging markets, telcos and other service providers will be completing significant upgrades to their network architectures and infrastructures.
During 2017, the public safety industry will continue to work towards making LTE the long term answer for emergency services communication.
2017 will be the year telecom regulators take aim, zero-rate proliferates, and IoT insecurity grabs hold.

In the past couple of years, three important factors have come together for FinTech: the rise of cloud computing, the ubiquity of smartphones and the ability to collect and analyse big data.
It used to be that writing a predictions piece was something of a retread of the previous year, with a few more advances.
Last Mile Connectivity is a vital challenge for telecom operators in emerging markets in densely populated urban areas as much as in rural and remote locations.

It is estimated that mobile operators will process $47 billion worth of payments by 2020, four times more than the current amount.
Emerging market consumers do not need “the next Facebook” or “the next Snapchat”, according to new research from mobile commerce accelerator Upstream.
Shipments of smartphones saw a 6% annual increase during Q3 2016, constituting the quickest industry growth over the past year.
The GSMA has elected new members of the GSMA Board for the two-year period from January 2017 through December 2018.
Russian technology and AI firm Yandex has launched a global partnership programme for Android handset manufacturers and telecom operators.
Over the next few years, we can expect operators in developing countries to adopt Network Function Virtualization (NFV) as a key concept within their network infrastructure.

According to research from Deloitte, 78% of consumers in developed markets look at their phone within an hour or less of waking up, compared to 93% in emerging markets.
The concept of a cashless society is rapidly being established – albeit not in the way traditionally pictured in films and popular culture.
While everyone focuses on the cool wristbands, industrial sensors, data-driven applications and the compelling end-user experience, the real smarts in the Internet of Things (IoT) is largely hidden from the public, and from the media too: The intelligence is in the network, and in the software that keeps that network humming.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is now one of the most exciting and fast growing areas of telecoms. Download Developing Telecoms' Special Report on the Internet of Things (IoT) here.
Nokia will once again become a global brand for mobile phones, smartphones and tablets following a new strategic agreement announced by the Finnish firm.