The Telco Cloud Manifesto
STL Partners believes that telco cloud is a crucial enabler for operators’ success in the Coordination Age. In this manifesto we explain why.
Defining the future telco — and what it means for operators and their partners
STL Partners believes that telco cloud is a crucial enabler for operators’ success in the Coordination Age. In this manifesto we explain why.

Operators’ pursuit of growth through 5G is tied to meeting the challenge of lower, cleaner energy and practical guidance on how to achieve this

Cloud native networking offers operators a promise of efficiency, automation and innovation to underpin their future in the coordination age. But it should also mean a new operating model, new skills and organisation that few feel they are ready for.
Our latest research covers industry perceptions of likely changes regarding telco investment priorities and activities in 2021. It looks at the relative importance of different technologies (e.g. 5G, automation), propositions in enterprise and consumer markets, networks, strategy and leadership.
Although eSIM technology delivers seamless provisioning and greater flexibility and security – all of which are key to scaling the IoT – adoption has been slow. What should operators do to catalyse a shift towards eSIM in the 5G era?
Will many other digital commerce and content companies follow Reliance and Rakuten into the consumer connectivity market?
Over the next 10 years, advances in automation, analytics and AI (A3) are going to drastically change the way telcos manage their core businesses, how their businesses are organised, and the demands of their customers. We outline the core capabilities A3 capabilities telcos will need to remain competitive in their core business and to be effective ecosystem players over the next five to ten years.
Telcos were quick to respond to changing customer needs as the COVID pandemic forced all kinds of businesses to shift to remote working almost overnight. Now we outline a six-point plan for telcos to evolve their initial WFH propositions into best-in-class services that address a range of security, reliability and performance needs.
Our in-depth analysis of Microsoft’s play in the telecoms market, why it acquired Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch, and what telcos should do about it.
Singtel’s data analytics business, DataSpark, has achieved some impressive results, but scaling is hard. Its path highlights lessons on dealing with the challenges facing all telcos building new businesses, e.g. how to govern and manage relationships with the broader organisation, measuring success, and finding the right skills and partners.
Edge computing offers an opportunity for operators to grow their B2B businesses. This report outlines five types of B2B edge services that telcos can offer, and the key considerations to ensure success.
AI, coupled with a data-centric approach and automation, looks like it is starting to pay back the operators who have led in this field. Where can industry leaders go next, and what are the key lessons for others on how to ‘jump the curve’?
Our detailed analysis of the consumer markets in the UK and Brazil shows some common trends and highlights important differences. Beyond the triple play, innovation is sparse, particularly in the UK. So what can telcos do to grow?
What can others learn from SK Telecom’s advanced efforts to grow in the face of declining core telecoms revenues? 5G is a part of the story, but not all of it.
Our research focuses on how telcos and their partners can embrace industry disruption.
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