Comments from a US based Technologist.
The big question in the US is who is going to win the next telecom war: wireless, wireline or cable. They each have a critical strength and weakness, and each can potentially give away the other’s service for free.
The phone companies have DSL but are challenged to fund it. The long distance carriers are toast. Wireless providers are in a better position but perhaps too tied to their equipment vendor solutions.
The cable companies have surprised everyone, they are scrappy, and are able to service homes at the lowest cost, but don’t have the integration skills the others have. Who wins?
Wireless Broadband Convergence is the key (not simply wireless broadband but how it will all come together).
How will the different network fabrics converge?
What services will drive demand?
Over half of voice traffic is 800 traffic. Using this analogy, what is the potential for 800-type broadband services (recipient pays)?
There is also a lot of talk about dual home/roam phones. I think this gets more attention than it deserves, but it would save customers money.
What new services will emerge? What about video over IP? Telecom is has been in a terrible slump but I think that’s about to change dramatically.
I expect we will see the first signs from outside the US.