Telco generative AI adoption tracker

Telco generative AI adoption tracker

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The Telco generative AI adoption tracker is a database of deployments of generative AI by telcos around the world. It also features STL’s assessment of key telcos’ progress with AI.

Description

Format: PDF file
Pages: 18
Author: Marina Koytcheva
Publication date: August 2026

Last updated: August 2026

About the Telco generative AI adoption tracker

This ‘Telco generative AI adoption tracker’ follows telcos’ progress in the adoption of AI. It is based on publicly available data and includes STL’s analysis of telcos’ strategies and ambitions in the area.

Tracker components

  1. STL Partners’ assessment of telcos’ progress on AI: Shows a summary of 118 telcos’ play across nine areas of AI implementation, with a focus on productisation. Includes also STL’s view on where each telco stands on a scale from ‘Progressing’ to ‘Frontrunner’.
  2. Generative AI telco adoption: Lists all generative AI use cases in telecom globally from publicly available data and tracks important characteristics of the implementations.
  3. Generative AI solutions for telcos: A collection of generative AI solutions specifically designed or optimised for the telecom industry.

Telcos’ AI announcement volume slows while execution deepens

In August 2026, the number of generative AI (GenAI) entries in the tracker reached 870 projects across 118 telcos worldwide. While major telcos focus on broadening their GenAI portfolios, smaller telcos are still catching up.

In our analysis of these implementations, we collect various types of data, such as:

  • Does the telco uses its in-house developed large language model (LLM)?
  • What share of the deployments include an element of agentic AI?
  • Is the implementation internal or productised in a solution for businesses or consumers?
  • Is the deployment part of a sovereign AI proposition?
  • Is the deployment about building an AI factory?

In addition to the detailed database, the tracker includes a summary of the activities of all 118 telcos and STL’s assessment on the stage of maturity of AI adoption by these telcos.

Table of contents (summary deck) – August 2026

  • Executive summary
  • Current implementations of AI by telcos
  • AI-related revenues: Quarterly earnings update
  • STL Partners’ assessment of telcos’ progress on AI

Related research

Technologies and industry terms referenced include: AI, AI as a service, AWS, chatbots, content creation, Data Management, deployments, digital assistants, future, GenAI, Generative AI, google, human-machine collaboration, intelligence improvements, knowledge management, LLMs, microsoft, multiple LLMs, new technologies, OpenAI, process improvements, Telco, Telecom operators