Telcos must welcome the development of the National Broadband Network (NBN) as a chance to innovate, or face unpopularity, a member of TM Forum said.
Tony Kalcina told industry members at the TM Forum Spotlight Event that telcos are already loosing popularity among consumers.
“There are cracks appearing in profitability and in the industry," he said. "The evidence is clear – something has to happen.
“The mighty can fall... you could be the cleverest, have access to all this information and technology but if you don’t make money, you can fail.”
Kalcina compared the telephone's impact on the telegram industry to the emergence of the NBN, saying that the telecommunications sector must evolve and view the NBN as a positive rather than an inhibitor.
“My thought is that the NBN is a springboard for the telecommunications player, they need to reinvent themselves," he said. “Try to reinvent yourself by putting yourself in the shoes of your customer to remind yourself of what you need.”
Kalcina said telcos like Telstra must reinvent business models to survive a post-NBN world.
“What’s the answer for telecoms players in the NBN world?" he said. "We need to look backwards.
“... The first thing you do is reinvent yourself, reinvent the business model. The other thing is that you do it now – make it with a sense of urgency.”
While telco giant Telstra last week urged the government to ban NBN Co from competing with retailers, collaboration between telcos was a vital step, according to Kalcina.
“The future is creating across industry to empower humans in a smart, collaborative society,” he said. “... It’s about automating the delivery of value.”
The insights come as Senator Kate Lundy last week said the NBN would create more opportunities for Australians to work from home.
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