Telecommunications industry – the changes and the future
Over Signal Solutions’ 10 years we’ve seen much happen. Here Co-founder and CEO Tony Aaltonen shares a bit about that and his predictions for the next decade.

How has the telecommunications industry changed over the years?
The information need of smart devices and their end users has become so great that wireless technology works 24/7 to satisfy market requirements. At the same time, consumer patience has decreased, with the demand for immediate access to information rising accordingly. Higher data transfer speeds are needed and Signal’s work as a provider of test systems is set to continue.
What significant events and developments are behind these changes?
The biggest development was when wireless technology enabled faster data transfer speeds. When 4G data rates were reached and it became possible to stream movies on your cellphone, different manufacturers got excited about the possibilities to reach better image quality quickly and wirelessly.
Because of this, different packing techniques and data transfer speeds have caused device manufacturers to invest incredible amounts of money in the future. A big one is 5G, which is already in full speed implementation, but we’re also seeing 6G coming into the discussion when talking about future applications.
What do you expect to see in the next 10 years?
Data rates will continue to increase with smart homes and wearable technology becoming more mainstream. It’s difficult to say when we’ll reach a point where connection speeds are sufficient and no higher data rates are needed. The next 10 years will probably be spent developing data rates wirelessly, which will keep Signal Solutions busy.
Different countries will continue using various frequencies which means that separate technologies will need to be developed depending on location.
The trend of further developing older wired technologies will persist. Fiber optics are going to replace much of the old copper technology, which means that more solutions are needed so that RF and fiber technologies work together.
There are strong indications that Signal’s services will continue to be in high demand for at least the next 10 years. We’re thrilled to see what kind of test environments we’ll be working with year after year and how much we’ll learn together with our customers and suppliers.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF SIGNAL
For a full decade we’ve been focusing on providing customers with individual service and complete solutions from the RF/microwave, fiber optics, EMC/EMI and shielding technology sectors.
This wouldn’t have been possible without our loyal customers and trusted suppliers. Thank you for being part of our success story and may we continue growing together in the future.
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