Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Process Optimisation in the Telecommunications Industry

Abstract

The transition from 1G to 6G network architectures, backbone infrastructures, and sophisticated Quality of Service (QoS) requirements has contributed to the growing complexity of telecommunications services, increasing interest in process optimization among researchers. Emerging technologies are reshaping operational models, enhancing scalability, and redefining service delivery. Examples include artificial intelligence, big data analytics, robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning, and the convergence of 5G and IoT.Focusing on trends, leading authors, countries, and key research areas related to process optimization in telecommunications, this paper presents a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed by Scopus between 2005 and 2025. To map the field’s collaborative and intellectual structures, citation patterns, co-authorship networks, and keyword co-occurrences were examined using VOSviewer and Scopus.The findings show that scientific output has increased steadily over the past decade, peaking in areas such as advanced network management, digital transformation strategies, AI-enabled predictive maintenance, and customer experience optimization. While collaboration networks reveal distinct clusters of expertise, the analysis also highlights the dominance of research output from the US, China, and the EU. By combining bibliometric evidence with insights into network evolution, KPI frameworks, and automation practices, this study provides researchers and practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of current trends, emerging directions, and key research gaps in telecom process optimization.