"The changes for the communications industry have been building like storm clouds for about 10 years - or at least it can seem that way to many large communications players around the world.

"Each year technology improvements, competition and regulation provide a richer experience for the end customer and drive the cost of networks down. Yet the revenue and bottom line profit for the operators and service providers is flat or declining . Fast transparent networks are enabling all manner of "Over-The-Top" players to generate revenues with fabulous services to end users without incremental revenues for the network operator. More traffic often means more cost and minimal incremental revenue for operators these days.

The storm clouds do have a silver lining for consumers and the businesses that wish to serve them over networks.

My predictions are that 2011 will be the year when :

1. Everyone will either have or want a smartphone and it really will become "the remote control" for your life. Mobile internet will increasingly be perceived as the real internet.