11 Pain Points for the ISP, Network Provider and Telecoms Industry, and How Forcelink can Alleviate Them

The ISP, network provider, and telecoms industries face persistent challenges that impact efficiency, service quality, and customer satisfaction. From network downtime to rising operational costs, this article explores 11 key pain points and how Forcelink’s highly configurable model provides scalable, cost efficient and rapid-to-implement solutions to address them.

1. Infrastructure Maintenance & Downtime:

Network infrastructures require constant monitoring and maintenance to avoid downtime, as this can lead to a loss of revenue, as well as customer dissatisfaction.

ISPs and telecoms companies struggle with aging infrastructure, delayed maintenance schedules, and inefficient asset tracking. 82% Of individuals, surveyed by Opengear in 2023, say they experience between 1-4 outages on average per quarter.

With Forcelink:

Forcelink’s Asset & Infrastructure Management modules combat this by tracking and monitoring assets, as well as scheduling predictive maintenance. Forcelink’s Workforce & Field Operations modules enable the dispatching of field engineers with optimised routing and real-time updates to streamline maintenance scheduling.

2. Network Capacity & Scalability:

Increasing network demands, including increased demand for data, 5G expansion and IoT proliferation, puts pressure on existing network capacity. As a result, telecoms providers need to optimise bandwidth, upgrade infrastructure and scale networks efficiently to accommodate these demands. 54% Of engineers fully rely on 5G for remediation of issues at the network edge, meaning that efficient 5G expansion is vital for functionality.

With Forcelink:

Forcelink’s Capacity Planning & Resource Optimisation modules predict and plan network capacity needs, ensuring increased demands are taken care of. Forcelink’s data analytics and AI capabilities, utilise predictive analytics to forecast and suggest upgrades before the network becomes overloaded.

3. Regulatory Compliance & Security Risks:

To avoid critical security risks, it is crucial that telecoms companies comply with data protection laws, licensing regulations, and cybersecurity frameworks. Non-compliance can lead to penalties, reputational damage, and security vulnerabilities.

With Forcelink:

With our Regulatory Compliance & Audit modules, compliance tracking and automated reporting is ensured and simplified. Forcelink provides real-time threat monitoring and risk assessment as part of its cybersecurity and risk management capabilities. Ensuring compliance regulations are met and that security risks are reduced.

4. Customer Service & Retention Challenges:

Poor customer experience, billing issues, and slow service response lead to high churn rates. Customers expect seamless connectivity, quick issue resolution, and transparent billing.

With Forcelink:

Our Customer Service & Ticketing modules automate issue resolution and prioritise urgent requests, as well as ensuring accurate invoicing and flexible billing options as part of the Billing and Revenue Management module – all of which provides the customer with a positive and streamlined experience.

5. Rising Operational Costs:

High expenses in network maintenance, workforce management, and energy consumption continue to negatively impact operational costs. 89% Of CIOs have increased their IT budget over the last 12 months to compensate rising costs. Reducing operational inefficiencies is crucial for cost control and profitability.

With Forcelink:

Our solution ensures operational efficiency and cost control so your organisation can track spending and optimise resource allocation to aid cost control and increase profitability. Energy usage can also be monitored to reduce costs and environmental impact, with our energy and sustainability management monitoring.

6. Connectivity Issues in Remote Areas:

Deploying infrastructure in rural or underserved areas is costly and complex. Extending connectivity requires efficient resource allocation and alternative network solutions.

With Forcelink:

Forcelink is able to plan and manage rural network rollouts with efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as well using geospatial data to find optimal locations for network towers with the GIS & Site Survey modules.

7. Managing Large-Scale Field Workforce:

Coordinating thousands of field technicians for installations and maintenance can be chaotic. Lack of real-time communication leads to delays, inefficiencies, and customer dissatisfaction.

With Forcelink:

You can align, tract and optimise your field technician work through the Field Service & Workforce Management modules. Forcelink is a mobile solution, enabling technicians to receive updates, report statuses and complete tasks efficiently – ensuring real-time communication even when offline.

8. Network Security & Cyber Threats:

ISPs and telecoms providers are prime targets for cyberattacks, including DDoS and data breaches. Strong security measures and proactive monitoring are needed to prevent disruptions, which many often lack.79% Of engineers state that hybrid and/or remote working has negatively increased their organization’s potential cyber-attack surface.

With Forcelink:

Forcelink combats these concerns with threat detection and response functionality, using AI-driven analytics to identify and mitigate security threats. With automatic security incident tracking, incident management and response to resolution processes are sped up to mitigate risk.

9. Managing Multi-Vendor Ecosystem & Supply Chain:

ISPs and telecoms rely on multiple vendors for equipment, software, and network services. Poor supply chain management can lead to delays, inefficiencies, and increased costs.

With Forcelink:

Forcelink streamlines vendor collaboration and procurement ensuring real-time tracking of telecoms equipment and supplies as part of the Inventory module and logistics tracking functionality, for fully optimisation and cost-efficient operations.

10. Monetisation of Services & Competitive Pressure:

Increasing competition within the industry forces telecoms to innovate and find new revenue streams. Traditional revenue models (data plans, voice, and SMS) are being replaced by digital services and cloud solutions.

With Forcelink:

Forcelink’s business intelligence identifies new revenue opportunities using data insights. The service and subscription management functionalities enable flexible service bundling and subscription-based pricing.

11. SLA (Service Level Agreement) Management & Compliance:

ISPs and telecoms providers must meet strict SLAs for uptime, response times, and service quality. Failure to comply can result in penalties, lost contracts, and customer churn. Monitoring SLA performance in real-time is challenging, especially with large-scale operations involving multiple service tiers and vendors. Ensuring proactive resolution of service disruptions is critical.

With Forcelink:

Forcelink has a number of modules that ensure efficient SLA management and compliance, including the SLA & Performance Management Module, which tracks and reports SLA compliance in real-time. Automated alerts and escalation notifies teams of SLA breaches and triggers immediate corrective actions, while the customer & vendor SLA dashboards, provide centralised views of SLA commitments, performance metrics, and penalties.

Forcelink’s comprehensive, fully mobile suite of solutions streamlines operations, enhances security, and optimises resource management to address pressing pain points for ISPs, network providers, and telecoms companies in an increasingly complex industry. By leveraging advanced automation, AI-driven analytics, and real-time monitoring, Forcelink empowers telecoms businesses to stay competitive, reduce costs, deliver seamless connectivity and customer satisfaction.

Statistics used in this article are extracted from a 2023 Opengear study of 502 CIOs in total and 510 network engineers. Research conducted by Censuswide. Available at: https://opengear.com/research-commentary/enabling-network-resilience-during-global-uncertainty/