European telcos are inconsistent in delivering cybersecurity offerings for SMBs, finds STL Partners
3 min read- European telcos aren’t aligned on how to address SMBs’ cybersecurity needs – even between opcos of the same telco
- This may be due to differences in strategic importance or capabilities
- STL Partners recommends that telcos look beyond their core offerings and sometimes limited cybersecurity capabilities to offer SMBs increased resilience against growing threats
LONDON – 17 September 2025 – Most large European telcos recognise that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) represent a growth opportunity – but they cannot agree on how to address these companies’ cybersecurity needs.
This is among the key findings from STL Partners’ latest report ‘Small and medium-sized business cybersecurity: Telco landscape in Europe’, which looked at five telcos and all of their opcos in Europe, 26 telco entities in total the online cybersecurity offerings for SMBs by five telcos (BT, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone) and all of their opcos in Europe, totalling 26 telco entities. According to the study, the main telco players in Europe typically use their websites to invite SMBs to a selection of plans and solutions, but they aren’t intentional about addressing the specific needs of these companies.
“We understand from SMBs that they need clear, simple cybersecurity offerings, including managed service variants, presented in business language, and the ability to upgrade their levels of protection. Some European telcos are delivering this as an exception rather than the rule”, argues Nicola Warren, senior analyst at STL Partners and co-author of the report.
According to her, telcos differ in the ways they define SMBs, the range of protection on offer as well as both the sales and pre-sales channels available.
“This is true not just between different telcos, but also between operating companies of the same telco”, the analyst states.
The research house further discovers that telcos have the most comprehensive SMB cyber propositions in their home markets and may have limited capabilities beyond this, resulting in these inconsistencies.
As per STL Partners’ findings, Vodafone’s SMB portfolio is less comprehensive than some, but it shows a more unified approach to SMBs and cybersecurity across markets compared to its European counterparts.
Another takeaway from the report suggests that foundational offerings by European operators align to telco core services – mobile devices and/or connectivity – but telcos should position these on a holistic cybersecurity upgrade path to ensure that SMBs can make better decisions regarding their protection.
“Low entry-level pricing is important for this price-sensitive audience, but SMBs need to understand the limitations of their coverage and the advantage of further investment in security and resilience”, Warren concludes.
Learn more about STL Partners’ report on SMBs’ needs in Europe here. Visit our dedicated Cybersecurity page to explore other research into the telco opportunity in this domain.
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STL Partners is a leading research and consulting company that focuses on the telecom industry and adjacent markets by helping telcos and their partners innovate, grow and stay ahead of the competition.
