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Defining the telecoms industry
As is made clear in Industry Mapping the industry
in the last decade of the twentieth century was transformed by the internet and
the convergence of computers and communications. The layer model of the
industry that we have developed shows some of the effects of this
transformation. For some, however, the transformation has been so great that
the term ‘telecoms industry’ fails to capture the radical changes
that have occurred.
Indeed, it could be suggested that an alternative term – such as
the ‘infocommunications industry’ – may be a more accurate
description of what the industry now involves. While we have sympathy with this
view, we have chosen to retain the conventional terminology and refer to the
'telecoms industry', although as our maps of this industry indicate, we use a
broad definition that includes the internet and most parts of the computer and
broadcasting industries.
The future of the companies of the telecoms
industry
One of our main aims is to develop a
better analysis and understanding of the ways in which the industry will evolve
over the next five years and the implications for its companies. This concern
is clearly of widespread interest as is suggested by the fact that many of the
companies in the industry as we have defined it – see
Industry Mapping 3: Companies by Layer - are
amongst the best-performing on stock exchanges around the world.
But how is the industry changing and which companies will be the winners
and losers? What will be the most successful business strategies and business
models in this industry? These questions are amongst the most important tackled
in the Key Questions which follow.
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