This year will be marked by the continuing tide of digital disruption and an accelerating pace of change in the telecom industry. In fact, potentially more of an acceleration than we’ve seen in the past.

Emerging markets are beginning to realize the benefits of IP-centric networks. A single IP network can transport multiple services, including voice, data, and the killer application, video.

Supporting ever-increasing consumer demand for fast and reliable mobile data access, service providers in developing markets are investing heavily in 4G/LTE. Operators continue to focus on ways to generate revenue growth from these significant investments.

Emerging markets are next in line for a data boom, but infrastructure is a big challenge.

Communications service providers (CSPs) in emerging markets achieved double-digit growth in recent years but are facing the ARPU pressures and slowing growth experienced by mature markets over the same timeframe.

South America is experiencing strong growth in the telecoms space, making it the top priority for investment in emerging markets, for 2014.

All mobile network operators face the challenge of improving their customer service without driving up OPEX, but for those in emerging markets this is an even greater priority since customers may be less comfortable with mobile technology than those in more established markets.

If Big Data’s technological potential for new services enablement reached a peak of expectations during last year, 2014’s focus will rely on big data monetization.

This year will certainly be an interesting year – besides the worldwide trend of more bandwidth to users through network densification, from our perspective in Africa the networks will continue their expansions, but place much more emphasis on increasing their return from customers.

2014 will be the year that a number of technologies gain traction in emerging markets.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, the technology enabling a global mobile Internet of Things, is booming and will continue to attract investment in 2014.

In markets where there is a dominant mobile operator, it is likely that the industry will begin to see wholesale LTE networks being launched in order to address any concerns the operator has regarding the roll out of rural mobile broadband coverage and to assist with the ability to allocate spectrum fairly.

Despite a few predictions that demand for satellite would start to drop away as the amount of operational fibre in Africa increased, the opposite has occurred.

In 2014 social media and locally-generated content and services using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WeChat, YouTube and other IP content providers will drive an explosion in both Internet traffic and broadband penetration in Africa.

In 2014, JDSU predicts a focus on the notion of self-organization in the mobile backhaul network. 

2014 will be a defining year for LTE as many more operators in developing markets launch their LTE services, including two anticipated launches in India.

Mobile technology has caused a leapfrog phenomenon in emerging markets, bolstering the consumer at the center of their daily commerce – enabling them to choose how, when and what to purchase from any location.

The newest focus in the wireless industry globally is LTE. GSMA Intelligence expects the number of LTE connections worldwide to pass one billion by 2017.