5G roll-outs have increased after a slowdown during the pandemic according to a study by Juniper Research.
The report found that the number of voice-over-5G users will reach 2.5 billion globally by 2026, and Nokia, Optus and Samsung have achieved what the firms regard as a milestone in data session.
As an indication of the potential growth shown in the study Mobile voice strategies: future monetisation opportunities & market forecasts 2022-2026, the 2026 total compares with just 290 million projected for 2022 and this rise of 780 percent will, said the analyst, be driven by voice-over-5G taking advantage of the software-based nature of 5G networks to offer application programming interfaces (APIs) for business voice services over operator networks.
The research urges operators to capitalise on the growth of voice-over-5G users to create a new portfolio of voice services. It recommends that operators prioritise interactive calling, intelligent call routing, and integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-based IVR (G Data) because these provide the most immediate return on investment in voice-over-5G.
The report identifies interactive calling as a key opportunity for operators who have launched 5G to provide more valuable voice services and compete with over-the-top voice apps. Juniper said interactive calling leverages 5G networks to offer advanced voice calling functionality, including interactive content and screensharing, directly in the native calling app on smartphones, thus negating the need for third-party applications.
Ccurrent 4G voice technology, VoLTE (voice-over-LTE) was not sufficient to support interactive calling, the report said. Although there are more than 4.4 billion VoLTE users, representing over half of subscribers, the lower speed of 4G networks in comparison to 5G networks has so far restricted the use of interactive features or AI in operators’ voice services.
The report predicted that operator-billed voice revenue will decline by 16 per cent over the next four years, as P2P voice traffic migrates to third-party voice apps. The analyst also urged operators to capitalise on the growth of 5G to develop new business-oriented voice services, such as interactive calling. 5G-based voice services must emulate operators’ current business messaging solutions by levying the cost on enterprises, rather than monetising mobile subscriber usage.
