Research

Defining the future telco — and what it means for operators and their partners


5G: The next phase

The development of agents underpinned by data and knowledge assets looks set to be a major challenge for telcos. It may take up to ten years for telcos to truly master agents, but they will be key to the realisation of fully autonomous networks.

MWC 2025: A tech show, not a telecom one

It was no surprise that AI dominated MWC this year. But there were lots of other notable trends on the rise – including cybersecurity and data centres – and some that were disappointingly overlooked. Find out what the STL Partners team saw and missed at MWC 2025.

AI: Good or bad for sustainability?

As AI’s energy consumption rises, so do sustainability concerns. This report explores why this technology is so power-intensive, how to mitigate its impact and whether it can help reduce emissions. It also examines four possible scenarios for future energy consumption – from unchecked growth to greater efficiency – and their sustainability implications.

Telco generative AI adoption tracker

The Telco generative AI adoption tracker is a database of announcements, trials and deployments of generative AI within telcos around the world.
In the latest update, we have added a list of generative AI solutions targeted at telcos.

Edge AI market forecast: The USD157 billion opportunity

The huge wave of AI has accelerated demand for cloud, but it has also triggered questions on whether deploying in centralised environments is always suitable, or if enterprises should instead consider the edge. Our edge AI forecast identifies the value of this opportunity, pointing to the use cases and the verticals that are driving growth, and determining the extent to which AI will stimulate more revenue at the edge.

Flavours of private networks: Key delivery models

This report explores private network delivery models – on-premises, hybrid and network slicing. It also offers insights into deployment strategies, market opportunities and actionable recommendations for telcos to address diverse enterprise connectivity needs across industries.

Want access to our research?

Our research focuses on how telcos and their partners can embrace industry disruption.

Learn more