The Impacts of Transformation of Telecommunications Companies on Employees’ Skills

In recent years, due to declining revenues in the telecommunications industry, traditional telecommunications companies (Telco) are being urged to transform into technology companies (TechCo) that can provide a wider range of services using advanced technologies and monetize them. This is a global trend, and the TM Forum, a standardisation body, is working on standardisation. Amid this trend, the Japanese telecommunications industry is also seeking to advance the utilisation of new technologies in its operations. When new technologies are introduced, employees must acquire the skills to use them, and the skills required of employees are expected to change. Employees’ skills have been also pointed out as an important factor in transforming telecommunications companies. However, it is unclear to what extent new technologies are being utilised at the front-line level in Japanese telecommunications companies and how this affects employees’ skills. In this study, we interviewed employees engaged in telecommunications-related work in Japan to investigate and analyse the utilisation of new technologies in Japanese telecommunications companies and their impact on employees’ skills. Through this survey, we have gained insight into the state and characteristics of the use of new technologies at the front-line level, as well as suggestions on three important topics relating to employees’ skills and the direction of support for them.