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Predictions
TMT Predictions 2020
Private 5G takes off, smartphone accessories dominate, podcasts power on, and edge AI chips boost productivity
As we move into a new decade, the impact technology, media and telecommunications has had on the last is clear. These forces have irrevocably changed the way we live, work and play. Over the past 10 years, our phones have become increasingly smarter, ever more entertainment streams are at our command and data fuels every decision – from the ads we see to the songs we’ll hear next. The lasting legacy of these technologies will shape the next decade.
This is why the overarching theme in our 2020 TMT Predictions is connectivity – it will be key to unlocking the trends we expect to see in the years ahead. Individual technologies are moving from siloed to interdependent, increasing their impact and distinct value in the process. Innovations that have been ‘just around the corner’ for years will finally come to life in 2020 with practical applications driving even more advances in the years to come.

The smartphone multiplier: Towards a trillion-dollar economy
Smartphone sales are big business but may soon pale next to the sums commanded by the sale of products and services associated with it—the so-called ‘smartphone multiplier’, which includes selfie sticks, ringtones, and mobile ads and apps. We predict the smartphone multiplier will drive US$459 billion of revenue in 2020 alone.

Coming to a CDN near you: Videos, games and much, much more
Content delivery networks (CDNs) will improve media quality, speed and reliability by bringing content physically closer to the user. We predict that the global CDN market will reach US$14 billion in 2020 and that the market will more than double by 2025, driven primarily by increasing consumer hunger for streaming video over the internet.

Bringing AI to the device: Edge AI chips come into their own
Artificial intelligence takes another step forward with edge AI – chips that perform or accelerate machine learning tasks on-device, rather than in a remote data centre. Deloitte Global predicts more than 750 million edge AI chips will be sold in 2020, most of them in consumer devices.

Private 5G networks: Enterprise untethered
For the world’s largest businesses, private 5G will likely become the preferred choice, promising superior performance, greater flexibility and higher security than wired networks. Deloitte expects more than 100 companies worldwide will begin testing private 5G deployments by the end of 2020.

The ears have it: The rise of podcasting
Podcasts are outgrowing their niche status to emerge as a substantive market in their own right. We predict that the global podcasting market will increase by 30% and surpass the US$1 billion mark for the first time.

High speed from low orbit: A broadband revolution or a bunch of space junk?
In 2020, companies’ efforts to bring internet access to the world will take off - literally. We predict that by the end of 2020, there will be more than 700 satellites in low-earth orbit (LEO) seeking to offer global broadband internet, up from roughly 200 at the end of 2019.
Published: February 2020
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