Case study overview
STL worked with a global OSV to engage telecom operators globally on the topic of AI, identifying the priorities, pain points and practical lessons shaping operators’ AI strategies.
AI is a strategic focus across the telecoms industry, with major advancements raising the expectations for telcos to capitalise on the opportunity and accelerate AI adoption across their operations.
Despite the hype, there is a lack of consensus around best-in-class development, deployment and governance of AI use cases.
RedHat engaged STL Partners to explore how AI is shaping the telco landscape, from the use cases delivering real value, to the internal capabilities’ telcos must develop for successful adoption.
Based on primary research with senior telco executives, STL identified operators’ AI priorities, use cases and deployment best practices, producing a thought-leadership report and supporting marketing collateral with clear recommendations on how telcos can accelerate their AI progress.
What was the approach?
STL undertook an extensive research programme with telcos across the globe, engaging commercial, technical, and strategy executives, along with AI leads, through in depth interviews and a survey. These insights identified:
- AI priorities for telecoms operators, including regional nuances
- Best-in-class telco AI deployments, including specific use cases
- Key success factors learned from operator deployments
Following this, we synthesised our research findings to gather a real-time view of the AI landscape –covering telco priorities, progress and pain points.
We consolidated these findings into a thought-leadership report and accompanying infographic that highlighted the current state of AI maturity and set out strategic recommendations for operators to capture additional cost efficiencies and revenue opportunities.
STL Partners then promoted the insights across multiple channels — including a webinar series, in-person workshops, and virtual roundtable sessions — to spark industry dialogue and engagement with senior telco executives.
Key results from the project
- Interviewed 21 global Tier-1 and Tier-2 telco operators
- Surveyed 104 strategy, technical, and commercial AI leads
- Identified 4 best-in-class operator case studies
- Developed a thought leadership report to promote research findings
- Hosted 2 successful webinars with 200+ live attendees and generating 680+ leads
- Produced a marketing-style infographic to highlight key research findings
- Conducted an in-person workshop with EMEA-based technology leaders and strategists
- Co-presented a virtual roundtable with leading North-American telco executives
