Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Telecom- Consumer services & technology sector Impact - 04 August 2021

Globaldata's report on the impact of COVID-19 on the Consumer Services & Technology sector includes detailed coverage of the sector analysis, COVID-19 impact, and sector insights among others.

COVID-19 has spread to over 198 countries with a total of more than 194 million confirmed cases and over 4 million deaths. The number of confirmed cases is the US is over 34 million, with cases again rising after a sustained period of decline. As in many other countries, most new cases are of the Delta variant, with hospitalizations also on the rise (97% of those admitted are unvaccinated). Total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered have now surpassed the total number of confirmed cases, with a total of over 2.9 billion single vaccine doses administered. China leads in the total number of vaccinations, while Canada leads amongst top economies in the percentage of the population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine.

A concrete summary of the impact of COVID-19:

• Hiring prospects appear to have been gradually improving since April 2021

• Nearly 45% of employees report an increase in productivity during WFH

• Most offices will return to at least 50% capacity in the next six months

• 3 in 10 employees prefer to visit their office daily after the pandemic

• Technology will continue to change the way we work over the next three years

• Artificial intelligence is driving change in working practices

• Most respondents continue to work from home full-time

Sector insight:

• The impact of COVID-19 on the leading companies operating in 17 separate sectors within technology, media, and telecoms (TMT), with all TMT sectors negatively impacted by COVID-19 in 2020, although IT Services has been the hardest hit

• Financial reports continue to demonstrate telecom service provider resilience to pandemic impact. CSPs are leveraging new premium service and innovation opportunities as lockdown digital habits continue

• Operator demand remains solid as capacity requirements – particularly in the home – remain strong. Many operators have accelerated plans to automate network management and operation to reduce human touchpoints

• While many handset and telecom infrastructure manufacturers are warning of looming semiconductor shortages, these are related to surging demand and insufficient foundry capabilities and not the pandemic. COVID-19 has driven demand for biosensors. Medium-term, more aggressive network automation will rely on improved processing capabilities

Download our free report for more detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 in the Telecom sector.