Established telecoms operators and service providers face an increasingly competitive environment, with non-traditional competitors such as Internet companies, mobile operators and equipment vendors eroding traditional revenue streams.
Often, these new competitors have the advantage of being fast moving and flexible, and have few, if any, of the legacy networks that can encumber the big telcos.

There are four key drivers affecting operators in developing markets.

1. Competition: New entrants are emerging from the Internet, mobile, retail and financial services industries. Meanwhile, established operators are using their domestic strengths to expand internationally

2. Liberalization: Market deregulation and liberalization is on the agenda for most emerging markets. While the rate and pace of change varies, the end of monopolies and the introduction of competition brings opportunities for everyone

3. Technology: With fixed-mobile convergence and the transition to IP, communications technology is becoming more horizontally focused making it easier to deploy new services quickly. However, building the underlying network has become a complex technical challenge. IP is driving convergence at every level: voice/data; IT/ communications; and fixed/mobile. But this convergence can be complex and confusing

4. Skills shortage: New technologies demand new skills, but few operators can call upon enough qualified engineers, support staff and service designers. This skills shortage is holding back the deployment of maturing technologies.