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STL Partners' 26 predictions for 2026, focusing on change and growth in the telco industry
Introduction
In this edition of our ‘Coffee break reading’ series, we present our expectations for the telco industry in 2026.
At STL Partners, our focus is always on the future of telecoms and the opportunities for growth. At the end of a fast-paced 2025, all STL domain experts have shared their expectations for the year ahead.
Our 26 predictions for 2026 focus on change – discrete events or developments. We have stayed away from discussing the elements of the market or telco business that will continue to evolve naturally on the set path.
One thing that stands out in our expectations is that 2026 will be a year of challenges, ranging from strong competition to hiccups in AI and cybersecurity threats. Yet, that does not diminish the attractiveness of the opportunities we see across technology innovation and business growth.
AI will remain at the very core of all telco activity, while in some parts of the world sovereignty will also be a key topic. We cannot have predictions without touching on the ever-changing competition from adjacent industries, and often from partners, or without mentioning new market darlings: data centres, satellites or quantum.
Our predictions cover the following key topics:
- Technology innovation
- Sovereignty and geopolitics
- Market structure
- Business growth
- AI
- Competition and adjacent industries
- Data centres
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- Telecoms 2030 Part 3: Pathways to servco, infraco and techco
