Traditional telephone calls continue to be the industry's biggest revenue generator, but thanks to advances in network technology, telecom today is less about voice and increasingly about text (messaging, email) and images (e.g. video streaming).
High-speed internet access for computer-based data applications such as broadband information services and interactive entertainment is pervasive.
Strung together by complex networks, telephones, mobile phones and internet-linked PCs, the global system touches nearly all of us.
With hundreds of players in the market, competitors rely heavily on price; success rests largely on brand name strength and investment in efficient billing systems.
Multinationals, spend heavily on telecom infrastructure and premium services like high-security private networks and videoconferencing.