As it stands, the outlook for broadcast, cable, and telecommunications providers looks very bright. In a Q3 2017 earnings call, John J. Stephens, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of AT&T, said: “We continue to track well against our full-year guidance, and we continue to invest for the growth of our business and remain focused and optimistic about our long-term opportunities.” He went on to say that the company is “well positioned to compete and respond to customers’ needs for the long term.”
Verizon shared the same sentiment. “We are confident in the execution of our strategy to drive profitable growth, generate strong cash flows and produce long-term value for our shareholders,” said Matthew Ellis, the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. “The cornerstone of our strategy is to provide our customers with the best network experience available. We are steadily investing to advance our 4G LTE leadership and actively building the network of the future.”
Thomas M. Rutledge, chairman and chief executive officer of Charter Communications, mentioned that with the integration of three large companies – Charter, Bright House Networks, and Time Warner Cable – the company is “on a path to be able to grow faster over a multiyear period.”
The reason for the positive outlook stems from several factors including a growing economy and the fact that more people want and need access to video, voice, and data.
According to the GSMA, an organization that represents the interests of mobile operators and related companies worldwide, there will be approximately 5.7 billion unique mobile subscribers globally by 2020. The growth trend is also evidenced by a 2017 report released by the market research organization eMarketer, which points out that “the fierce competition in the telecom sector is pushing brands to spend more on ads.” In fact, at the time of publication, the company predicted the telecom industry would account for 10.9% of overall digital ad spending.
The digitalization of our personal and work lives has proliferated, making communications companies the ultimate beneficiaries. The boom and continued growth in digital, mobile, and content consumption will require companies to develop more innovative products and services, improve the customer experience, and improve operational efficiencies. To keep up with customer expectations and demand, companies must arm themselves with well-thought-out strategies – and the technology to support them.
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Using the insights we’ve gleaned from conversations with clients, perspectives from industry executives, and statistics from market research reports, we have prepared a guide that describes the current state of the communications sector.
Use it as a barometer to measure the impact of your own activities and initiatives. How do you compare to your peers? Are you doing the right things? Should you adjust your strategy to remain or become an industry leader?
You can download it here or fill out the form below.
