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.

Last updated: November 2024

About the Telco generative AI adoption tracker

Tracker components

1. Generative AI telco adoption: Lists all generative AI use cases in telecom globally from publicly available data and tracks important characteristics of the implementations.
2. Generative AI solutions for telcos: A collection of generative AI solutions specifically designed or optimised for the telecom industry.
3. Generative AI capabilities: Categorises distinct capabilities of generative AI and assesses their usefulness and availability, based on STL Partners’ analysis.
4. Generative AI use case taxonomy: Provides a comprehensive list of potential future applications of generative AI in telecoms, identified through STL analysis.

For the summary deck, click on ‘Download’ under ‘Download the full report’.

For the full Excel database, download ‘Additional files’.

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GenAI – telcos are marching on

Telcos continue to demonstrate practical progress with generative AI (GenAI) adoption.

As of early November 2024, our tracker has recorded 282 GenAI implementations by 69 telecom operators worldwide. This is up from 201 implementations by 54 operators in August 2024 and shows that telco activity in the area remains intense and spreads geographically.

Distribution of recorded generative AI implementations by telcos

In our analysis of these implementations, we collect various types of data, such as whether an implementation has been fully launched, is in a trial phase or is just an announcement (shown in graphic below), what large language model (LLM) is used, what the use case is, in what functional area of the telecom operator it is deployed and whether it relates to an AI-as-a-service business model.

Status of generative AI implementations (share of implementations)

Source: STL Partners

Based on our findings so far, we expect the rapid adoption of GenAI by telcos and their partners to continue as they find new ways to derive value from it for themselves and their customers. Work on GenAI propositions for enterprise clients continues at a pace, as does strong activity around building LLMs in-house.

As part of our November 2024 update to the tracker, we have introduced a new component focused on generative AI solutions for the telecom industry. We have identified 50 such propositions in total. While we see all major vendors of telecom infrastructure or solutions adding at least some GenAI capabilities to their core products, the vast majority of the solutions in the tracker are designed predominantly to enable GenAI or AI use cases. Three quarters of all these solutions have been specifically developed for the telco industry.

Industry focus on GenAI/AI solutions

By providing clear insights and data-driven analysis, STL Partners helps telecom operators and their partners navigate the complexities of generative AI adoption and strategically plan their next steps.

For the summary deck, click on ‘Download the full report’.
For the full Excel database, download ‘Additional files’.

Table of contents of the summary deck – November 2024

• Executive summary
• Current implementations of generative AI by telcos
• Generative AI solutions for telcos

Related research

• Gen AI: Where should telcos start?
• Organisational foundations for responsible AI
• DTW24: Generative AI brings both hype and hope
• Finding value from AI, analytics and automation (A3) in the telco network
• Gen AI: Why and how telcos should skill up for success?

For the summary deck, click on ‘Download’ under ‘Download the full report’.

For the full Excel database, download ‘Additional files’.

If you are not a subscriber, enter your details below to download an extract of the summary deck.

Kerina Naran

Kerina Naran

Research Analyst

Kerina is a research analyst at STL Partners and is now applying her advanced research and analytical skills from an extensive background in biomedical sciences to the dynamic telecoms and technology market. Kerina joined STL Partners after obtaining a PhD in Virology and Immunology from Imperial College London.