With the acceleration of the 5G standards process, the 5th generation mobile network has firmly become the telecom industry's next game-changing development. However, we all know 5G will not be realized overnight. The important, indeed the essential, question therefore is: how do we traverse the distance from our existing network to 5G? This is the question I would like to address here.

Reports and Coverage
Harnessing ICT to end poverty and inequality
Our networked society is changing the way we live, says United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the International Telecommunication Union's ‘fast-forward progress' report which highlights various ways to leverage technology to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and inequality. The report provides insights into the risks and opportunities in using ICT to achieve the goals, such as the broad benefits of big data.
Tech leaders urge UN to ban autonomous weapons
116 founders of robotics and artificial intelligence firms, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, are urging the United Nations to outlaw use of autonomous weapons. An open letter to the UN includes signatories from North America to Asia, Africa and Europe, including Mustafa Suleyman, and AI specialist at Google.
Wearables are the future, not smartphones
There's been talk among analysts that smartphones will slowly become redundant in the future and make way for more innovative communication platforms. Despite the fact that US consumers now own 27 million more smartphones than they did last year, wearables will eventually take the lead, some analysts speculate, as communication requirements evolve over time.
ITU, World Bank Group and CPMI launch ‘Financial Inclusion Global Initiative’
A new global program to advance research in digital finance and accelerate digital financial inclusion in developing countries, the Financial Inclusion Global Initiative, has been launched by the World Bank Group, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Orange optimizes its e-commerce traffic acquisition strategy in Europe and Egypt
Before making an actual purchase, 87% of Orange customers take a look at the website first. To make Orange sites even more appealing at reasonable cost, and with the goal of doubling the proportion of online sales within three years, Orange launched a plan to optimize its digital traffic acquisition in seven European countries and in Egypt. Sofrecom assisted Orange in this strategic project.
Why is IST big in the Middle East telecom’s industry?
IST is the customer experience technology experts that act behind the scenes, helping our telecom clients to acquire more customers, improve customer retention, whilst increasing operational efficiency.
Maximizing your advantage: Launching new telecom services with IST
We live in a very competitive world. Your customers are constantly looking for new products and services, and telecom vendors are falling over each other to capture new and willing customers. There is a small window of opportunity to achieve your launch targets before your competitors follow.
Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit – Award Submissions Now Open
The annual Telecom Review Leaders' Summit gathers the most influential telecom and ICT leaders from around the world under one ceiling. The Summit returns to Dubai in December 2017 and will be held for two consecutive days, from December 6-7, at the Meydan Hotel Dubai.
Top Saudi students complete Huawei's ICT program in China
The third cycle of Huawei's global CSR program for top Saudi students, 'Seeds of the Future', has recently culminated in the People's Republic of China. Launched in collaboration with the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia's initiative aims to cultivate the Saudi ICT future leaders that will carry on the responsibility of the anticipated digital transformation, a key pillar of the Saudi vision.