Top Examples of Digital Twins that Can Impress Telecom Providers

“A digital twin needs a good information model of what’s going on the ground. It needs an understanding of what’s going on behaviorally because essentially it’s a form of simulation.”

Tony Clark

the deputy dean in the College of Engineering and

Applied Science at the U.K.’s Aston University

If IoT and data science have a baby, it would be a digital twin. This technology is on the cutting edge today. Just look at this sky-high market share rise from $7.86 billion in 2021 to $10.99 billion in 2022! So, admit that you heard at least at once about its capabilities in supply chain management, manufacturing, healthcare, or construction. But now, let’s focus on the industry, working wonders, and making the existence of digital twins possible.

Telco companies fight with fierce competition daily. This rush makes them launch new services, try fresh approaches and develop to remain on the top. How do digital twins help their growth? Do telco enterprises already use the technology or only discuss its implementation? Scroll down to find answers and discover more about the top digital twin use cases in telecom.

Digital Twin in Telecom: Tasks & Meaning

Telco companies allow other businesses to use accurate predictive analytics and proper management approaches via digital twin technology applications. Meanwhile, telecom players also get the most of this widespread practice. Why not? The technology can track and run telecom networks, simultaneously gathering data from other sources. Businesses there usually add layers of technology, including connected devices and additional spectrum bands. Digital twins can monitor and augment these complex systems in real-time.

Meanwhile, telecom business leaders use the technology everywhere, boosting coverage, analytics capabilities, IoT & 5G deployment. The case is digital twins can reduce the risks of failure and validate ideas from the very beginning. Management can test any initiative by using a virtual model of a real department, process, or group of processes to choose the most appropriate scenario and implement it easily.

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Digital Twin Use Cases in Telecom You Should Know About

Digital twin example for the industrial automation

Telco companies are the central link providing all business sectors the power to move forward and perform a digital transformation. For example, they help manufacturers to build a “smart factory” concept and optimize all operational and business processes. A bright example of telco & manufacturing cooperation could be Nokia and Bosch partnership.

The companies decided to research the usage of 5G for industrial automation and control systems. Their intelligent sensors for each part of the manufacturing process transferred data to a controller. Owing to 5G, such data is transmitted to the control platform displaying accurate digital twins of machines. It allowed employees to receive all the information about equipment performance and set up new operation scenarios in real-time.

The core aim of these digital twins was to ensure workers with complete information in hand. Such an approach ensures better employee performance, reduces downtime risks, and eliminates routine tasks.

Digital Twin Network

The most incredible digital twin innovation in telecom is a network digital twin. It allows telco companies to monitor network operations in real-time and predict any events that might happen to exclude downtime. Enterprises create several digital twins to manage networks properly. This way, each copy has a limited burden and enables operating with real parts of a network efficiently.

Source: Ericsson

Many vendors offer ready-made digital twins turning competitors into partners and helping other industries digitize processes. For example, Nokia Digital Twin allows factories to get the most out of private wireless networks in their Industry 4.0 journey.

Meanwhile, some companies are working on digital twins covering the components of a network. For example, Intelligent Site Engineering by Ericsson uses pictures to create 3D models of radio sites. Their setting up, maintenance, and improvement can be made over the air. Recent Ericsson's update Advanced Microwave Insights analyzes information from microwave networks in real-time, cutting costs and improving performance.

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The Bottom Line

The digital twin plays two critical roles in developing the telco industry. The first example shows the importance of this domain in other fields' growth. Nowadays, any company striving to implement digital twins needs support from the telco player's side. This way, the services of niche enterprises will be relevant and demanded for a long time.

On the other hand, communication service providers apply digital twins to go beyond the competition and run their infrastructures in a new, reasonable way. This approach allows them to retain an audience, optimize business processes, launch new services faster and safer, and increase overall revenue.