TELENOR: DIGITALISATION WILL ACCELERATE IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21  -- Telenor Research, the research arm of Norway-based  telecommunication giant Telenor Group, has predicted that digitalisation efforts in society would accelerate in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

Telenor Research head Bjorn Taale Sandberg said the pandemic has forced the global population to urgently adapt to a new way of life, much more digitally.

“The pandemic has triggered us and nearly every industry around the globe to adapt at a rate once thought impossible. The past year has proved that digitalisation will be key to tackling major societal issues and to facilitate new ways of working and living in 2021,” he said at the Telenor Tech Trends Virtual Media Briefing, today.

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Sandberg said COVID-19 has given rise to a growing percentage of people who feel isolated and lonely, triggering a host of new health concerns. Chronic isolation feeds a range of health maladies such as anxiety and depression.

“The year 2020 showed us that loneliness is a fundamental public health issue; a health issue that we believe will face an unprecedented technological response in 2021.

“Hence, Telenor Research predict that e-Health actors will develop and roll out new sets of tools and services related to mental health. In countries with full 5G implementation, we will likely see the first uses of augmented and virtual reality technology applied in holographic communication tools, already within the next year,” he said.

The pandemic has also triggered much needed climate-friendly actions.

“We believe governments will use the momentum of 2020 to pave the way for a green recovery in 2021, putting climate laws and climate plans into action,” he said, adding that mechanical weeding with machine vision will streamline the use of pesticides, thus reducing the environmental impact of agriculture.

Telenor Research expects in 2021, many companies to provide employees with more flexibility to carry out their work outside the office walls.

He said to ensure the necessary competence for the future way of work, managers will increase the upskilling of employees in cyber security, digital hygiene, and the use of digital tools and technologies.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 lockdowns that happened globally have led to a wave of innovations and important progress in digital learning, but it has done less to reduce the global education gap.

Sandberg said millions of children and young people, who currently lack internet access at home, suffered the loss of education in 2020 when schools went into lockdowns.

“In 2021, we expect to see an escalating number of new and creative methods of remote, digital learning to emerge from the rapidly advancing virtual learning sphere. Those equipped with network access and internet-capable devices will be able to take part in this digital leap and reap the rewards,” he said.

The unconnected will however lose ground.

“If this urgent issue is not properly addressed, both internationally and within nations, we risk significant setback and a widening educational gap in the coming years. In order to bridge this gap, the education sector and ICT actors must join forces, working together to ensure robust and faster networks, and to promote and support digital literacy for all,” he added.

-- BERNAMA