Nokia has presented its Technology Strategy 2030, outlining the emerging technologies and trends set to shape the future of technology, networks, and the world in the next seven years.
The Finnish telecommunications giant’s Global Network Traffic 2030 report predicts a substantial surge in network traffic throughout this decade. Key drivers behind this growth include artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), extended reality (XR), digital twins, automation, and the proliferation of billions of interconnected devices.
Nokia’s strategy focuses on adapting and transforming networks to harness the potential of these technologies to address future challenges. Nokia earlier announced its plans to eliminate around 14,000 jobs worldwide.
Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia, emphasized the necessity for radical changes in network architecture to meet the challenges of the future. He noted that three major trends — AI, cloud, and evolving connectivity — loom over industries.
Nokia’s Technology Strategy 2030 presented today provides a blueprint for future network architecture that paves the way for innovation, sustainability, productivity, and collaboration, powered by the exponential capabilities of networks.
Nokia’s Technology Strategy 2030 identifies several key trends that will shape networks for service providers, enterprises, and industries in the coming decade. These trends include AI, cloud continuum, metaverse, API economy, Industry 5.0, Internet of value, sustainability, and security, all of which rely on ultra-responsive and secure networks.
In the Global Network Traffic 2030 report, Nokia projects a substantial increase in end-user data traffic demand. With a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) ranging from 22 percent to 25 percent from 2022 to 2030, global network traffic demand is predicted to reach between 2,443 to 3,109 exabytes (EB) per month by 2030.
If there’s a higher adoption rate of cloud gaming and XR in the latter half of the decade, Nokia projects a CAGR that could climb as high as 32 percent. To meet these growing demands, networks will need to become more cognitive and automated, integrating AI and ML, while addressing the transformative needs and operating models of organizations and consumers.
Nokia believes that technology breakthroughs like XR, digital twins, Web3, and other emerging innovations will significantly transform businesses, society, and the world as a whole.
Jerry Caron, Global Head of Research & Analysis at GlobalData Technology, underscored the significance of Nokia’s Technology Strategy 2030. He emphasized that as technological advancements accelerate, networks will experience a substantial increase in traffic.
The strategy’s focus on effective utilization of AI, cloud, connectivity, and the API economy is seen as the framework that service providers and enterprises must embrace to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Service providers, in particular, will need to shift towards a more horizontal, API-driven future that offers sustainability, scalability, automation, and flexible service delivery.
Nokia’s Technology Strategy 2030 is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of networks and technologies, ultimately benefiting industries and consumers alike. As the world continues its relentless march towards a tech-driven future, Nokia’s vision promises to keep us at the forefront of innovation and connectivity.