The Role of Telecommunications in Virtual Events and Online Conferences

Online conferences and virtual events have become popular among businesses and individuals due to their cost-effectiveness, convenience, and accessibility compared to traditional methods. Powering this growing usage are telecom companies, which provide the speed and bandwidth needed to seamlessly enjoy these applications, regardless of location or financial background.

In this article, I’ll explore the current role telecom companies play in supporting and improving online communication and events, and what we can expect the future to look like.

Let’s dive right into it.

Catering to the Needs of Minorities

Being a Latino in America, this is one that I’ve personally witnessed. It doesn’t sound like much, but it plays a huge role, particularly for Hispanic-owned businesses.

Latinos make up the second-largest population in America and play a major part in supporting the economy. We’ve set up over 5 million businesses that have generated over $800 billion in revenue.

However, Hispanic-owned businesses may sometimes face language barriers or financial constraints, which may impact their ability to access resources such as the internet and, therefore, equip themselves with the digital infrastructure needed to grow.

Luckily, telecom companies like Xfinity are working to change that by making it easier for such businesses to get an internet plan by offering bilingual customer service. Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs can reach out to Xfinity en Español and enjoy fast and reliable connectivity.

See also: Why Smart Technology and Solar Go Hand-in-Hand

Overcoming Geographic Barriers

Remote businesses are on the rise, and they need to hire talent and secure clients from different parts of the world. This makes it all the more necessary to have a solid digital infrastructure and the right set of online tools for seamless communication.

Telecom companies allow access to these tools and make communication possible regardless of where people in the team are located. This instant and uninterrupted communication and collaboration over borders helps improve productivity and efficiency, while reducing risk.

Saving Costs and Time

Online events can help businesses significantly cut down on costs related to the long list of expenses that come with traditional in-person events. You’ll need to sort out renting, catering, venue décor, travel expenses, and should I keep going? Because I could go on and on.

By supporting virtual events, telecom companies allow businesses to efficiently and effectively use these resources, which could be a game-changer, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Additionally, the time saved on traveling to a certain location can be put to good use by being used for productive discussions, which might just unlock the next great idea your business might need.

Enabling Large Scale Networking

Let’s say you’re at a traditional in-person networking event. I can bet that you’re not going to be able to meet and form connections with everyone there, right? You’ll probably meet a few people if you’re lucky, and unless they give you their information, you can’t really form a long-term connection.

Telecom companies can change that by allowing access to networking tools like LinkedIn and providing the internet speed and bandwidth needed to support multiple users in an online event. Most tools used for online events have direct messaging features to make both initial interactions and follow-ups quick and easy.

It’s also easier to manage your huge network with online tools as they streamline the entire process.

That about covers the major current benefits that telecom companies create using their internet connectivity network. Now, let’s take a glimpse into the future.

The Future of Virtual Events – What Technologies Telecom Companies Will Have to Adapt To

With such lightning-fast progress in technology, telecom companies will have to innovate at the same pace, if not faster, to provide the required connectivity infrastructure for the next phase of virtual event experiences.

This is mainly because of a few major technologies, which are:

• Fiber Internet
• 5G and 6G
• Edge Computing
• Wifi 6 and 7

Let me break down how telecom companies will have to adjust for each of them for you.

Fiber Internet

Fiber internet has already made waves with its unmatchable speed, high bandwidth, and low latency. It will continue to grow in demand, and telecom companies will have to invest in expanding their network and providing this service to power interruption-free virtual events.

5G and 6G

6G is still a concept and might come into play somewhere in the 2030s, but 5G is here, and it’s being offered in some areas in America. Telecom companies will have to offer these services, which may require them to embrace a cloud-first architecture and create cell sites to power virtual events in different areas. Additionally, they will also have to invest in training staff to handle these technologies.

Edge Computing

Online events need a lot of computing power, especially when you’re planning to create dedicated virtual environments or real-time VR gaming experiences. This may put edge computing into application, and this will require telecom companies to process data closer to where events might happen, thereby reducing latency and network congestion.

Virtual Events – The Next Big Thing in Communication and Collaboration

From overcoming geographic barriers to supporting digital transformation for minorities, telecom companies play a huge role in making virtual events possible.

If they successfully adapt to emerging technologies like 5G, edge computing, and fiber internet, they can turn this accessible, convenient, and cost-effective alternative into the next big thing in communication and collaboration.