The impact of risk breakdown structure (rbs) on managing complex technology projects in the telecommunications and information technology sector

Telecommunications and information technology (IT) is one of the most hazardous project environments in today's digital economy. The projects include 5G network deployment, cloud migration, enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, and digital transformation initiatives, all of which are highly complex in nature, involve multiple stakeholders with interdependencies, and are subject to the ever-changing nature of cyber threats. In spite of this, very little theoretical attention has been focused on the Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) which is hierarchically structured and categorises project risks based on their origin, in telecommunications and IT contexts. This study involves a critical and systematic review of literature that has been published in the peer reviewed journals, project management standards and sector-specific reports from 2002 to 2025. The evolution of project risk management; RBS definitions, frameworks and limitations; characteristics of complex technology projects; the telecom and IT risk environment; theoretical relationship between RBS and better project outcomes; and gaps in the existing research are all explored in six thematic areas. The study proposes that RBS provides a scalable, structured, and standards-based approach to enhance the visibility of risk, to facilitate the systematic categorisation of risk, and to facilitate informed decision-making. It also illustrates that there is no validated, sector-specific RBS framework yet available in telecommunications and IT, which is a great opportunity for further research. Theoretically, the study advances the academic discourse on structured risk management. From a practical perspective, it offers a solid justification for the adoption of RBS in technology-rich contexts for project managers and risk officers.