With the changing times, surroundings also change. Change is inevitable. This factor contributes majorly in changing every industry established within a nation. Telecommunications industry is no different. With the passage of time, there have been many changes that the industry has observed.
With the changing market, new customers, new expectation levels of services provided, everything seems bound to get changed. In fact, every couple of years experience different challenges and acceptances by the customers and stakeholders, etc.
Mentioned below are some points that will bring clarity on today’s landscape of telecommunication industry. The points are as follows:
1. Know Your Players
Mobile phones have become status symbols and fashion statements. It’s common these days to discuss the pros and cons of your phone or network provider at barbecues or dinner parties. Occasionally you’d hear someone say, “I’ve been always with Nokia” or “I like Telstra’s coverage.” Nokia is the most popular handset manufacturer in the world.
2. Handset Manufacturers
First we have handset manufacturers, which include Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens, LG, and Sharp. The term “handset” refers to the basic phone equipment without the SIM card (the little plastic card that holds your number) or accessories. When you put a SIM card and battery into a handset, it becomes operational or a mobile phone. The handset manufacturers are multinational companies that employ lots of engineers and scientists. Besides manufacturing handsets, these companies make base stations and other network infrastructure. Samsung is the third largest handset manufacturer in the world.
Many people love their handset manufacturer better than their carrier. For instance, lots of people prefer to use Nokia or Samsung because the brand has the look and feel they want.
3. Carriers
This is a group that includes Telstra, Optus, Orange, 3 and Vodafone. They are also called operators or network providers. The operator’s name is usually displayed on your mobile phone screen when you turn it on. The operators generally purchase base stations from one or more manufacturers to set up a network. Coverage is primarily determined by the number of installed base stations. As a rule, the more the base stations, the better the coverage, although these days base stations are becoming smaller and more powerful due to technological advancements.
4. Service Providers or the Middlemen
Most people purchase a phone directly from a carrier through the carrier’s retail outlet. Others buy phones from a service provider (as opposed to network operator) or reseller through any of their outlets. Who are these service providers? A service provider does not own base stations. Instead, a service provider uses another carrier’s network and offers its own deal of mobile phone packages. No wonder providers are called resellers.
Do service providers offer good value? It’s hard to say. Generally they offer good deals in niche markets, such as the youth or low-end market. Being the middlemen between carriers and consumers, they sometimes get squeezed, especially when the competition gets tougher.
Remember that service providers do not own a network. Therefore they have little investment and can exit the market when the going gets tough.
5. Retailers or Glitzy Phone Shops
Mobile phone retailers can be found everywhere these days, mostly in shopping centres and busy streets. In the nation’s busiest shopping centres, you will find at least a dozen retailers. Some of these retailers have full-fledged stores. Others have kiosks.
Retailers are of two types: the exclusive and the generic. The exclusive retailers focus mostly on a single carrier or reseller’s products and services.
The generic retailers combine products of many carriers, thereby offering abundant choice. The easiest way to get an idea of the latest offering in the mobile market is to visit a generic store. Generic stores do not always offer the same deals as the exclusive ones. The staffs of generic store usually have broader knowledge than their exclusive counterparts.
After reading this, you must have got an idea as to what elements may make a difference in your choice of telecom and service providers. For detailed information just get in touch with BT contact number.
