Telecommunication Innovations and Human-Technology Interface: A Review

Abstract

Innovations in production system, engineering, business, information and communication have catalysed into technologies set to achieve improvements in quality of human life through faster, smarter and better services. Telecommunication has achieved so much in this new area of smarter services moving from analogue to digital systems and transforming the world into a global village. The industry is a multi-billion dollar (USD) spinning business straddledby giant global players with great influence and powers over product and market systems, governance, trade and services, and global economy. This paper is premised on the dynamic nature and impact of telecom innovations, and human interface. Emerging technologies in the industry have however presented new challenges now described as disruptive innovations (more commonly known as the new normal) in the workplace and market, and essentially in the human - technology interface. The use of high telecom and other internet-based systems have introduced for example Working from Home (WFH) as one among the new normal. There is the challenge of a healthy balance between telecom innovations and impacts on human health and environment. Light speed product and market changes due to rapidly changing telecom innovations have poised a challenge to user (human) adaptation worsened by perturbations and mergers that affect stabilisations. Emerging technologies in robotics engineering, Artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things and people etc. have contributed and will still play significant roles in teletechno and human interface. This work adopted the qualitative conceptual approach in the review of literature, applying underpinning theories of sociology of technology to explain the interface and consequent ideology shift from product to consumer prominence. Paper recommends an integrated global regulation and compliance, a unified codification and standardisation, guarantee for safety and security concerns; and measures to ensure industry collaboration, product and service quality, robust market and consumer protection.