Covid-19 and telecoms one year on: how accurate were our predictions?
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Covid-19 and telecoms one year on: how accurate were our predictions?
In April 2020, we assessed the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the telecoms sector, covering financials, network performance, 5G, media and content consumption, and enterprise digitisation. One year on from the devastating impacts of Covid-19 on mortality, public health, economic activity and our basic way of life, it is instructive to look at how our predictions compare to reality. This retrospective analysis also offers important clues as to the future operating environment of the sector over the next 5-10 years.
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Covid-19 and telecoms one year on: how accurate were our predictions?
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