With mobile network speeds expected to skyrocket as soon as 2020, the potential for yet another explosive digital transformation is palpable. Chief information officers across industries will find it essential to fully educate staff and customers about the opportunities and challenges ahead.
A requirement for any IT department preparing for the next-gen mobile era—whether part of a small or medium-sized business or a large government municipality—is to explore the array of possibilities affecting organizations, individuals and entire communities.
“Those use cases that came out of [the early days of the internet], we don’t know how we could live without them today,” said Ted Ross, CIO for the City of Los Angeles. “I think you’ll find the same when it comes to faster mobile. We’re only guessing at this point as to what we think we can do with ultra-high-speed, ultra-low latency connectivity. I absolutely believe that it will be transformational.”
Ross represents the CIO who must tap all resources available to ensure that new technologies succeed under his watch. It’s no wonder: He’s dealing with 48,000 government employees and over 4 million residents.
“Everything’s on a big scale here,” said Ross. “Mobility is a critical conversation in the private sector, but it’s also a fundamental platform to deliver smart city technology.” He explained that deploying next-gen networks can accomplish a lot of extraordinary things not possible on traditional mobile networks.