Identifying and ranking next generation network services

Abstract

This report presents the results of a forecast of next generation network services. As telecommunication networks are being transformed into next generation networks the communication and media landscapes are being reshaped, and a wider range of network services is expected to emerge. Technological development, deregulation and competition will probably introduce many more service suppliers than in the past, but little is known about what the service market will look like. By deploying a Delphi study using two panels of experts from the Nordic region - service providers and analysts - this paper develops a comprehensive list of 67 services organized into ten groups that are expected to be offered on the next generation networks over a time span of five to ten years. Each panel produced a rank-order list of services through an iterative feedback process. The two panels perceive, as anticipated, the future telecommunication services market differently. Among the identified services, the analysts agree that Web-based computing will be the most important service, while the service providers rank Mobile broadband as most important.