The traditional “moat-building” business model adopted by telcos is no longer viable. If telcos are to compete with internet giants in 2030, they must fundamentally change as organisations. Part 1 of our Telecoms 2030 series outlines this need for change, providing three possible business models for the telco of 2030 – Servco, Infraco and Techco.
The first commercial deployments of open RAN networks have been announced. But operators are unsure whether to deploy quickly for first-mover advantage or play it safe and wait for more proof points. We explore the causes of open RAN inertia and how operators can get deployments back on track.
Telcos and policymakers need new metrics to power evidence-based decisions. New tools and data sources can help build greater understanding and transparency in telecoms.
Telco cloud came with the promise of agility and returns. Our latest in-depth research examines the evidence, why telcos still believe it will deliver, and what needs to be done to achieve that.
Since we first published this report in 2019, telcos have made significant investments in 5G, but value continues to shift towards service differentiators. Transformation remains at the heart of most telecoms operators’ strategies but change has been painfully slow. This report explains why agility and innovation – the goals of transformation – will remain elusive until CFOs adopt new resource allocation models at their organisations.
Global O-RAN capex forecasts 2020–2030, modelling operator investments across four migration pathways.
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.
As connectivity has become commoditised, launching new network technology can no longer be relied upon to generate operator growth. This report outlines eight guiding principles for operators seeking to move beyond connectivity into tailored vertical solutions.
What measures are telcos taking now to help their customers, and how should they start to re-think and re-plan future strategies in the course and aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic? We look at impacts across the business and outline four longer-term scenarios for the industry.
Telcos in South Korea and China have seen strong early demand for new 5G services. Where else is 5G commercially available, and what are the key lessons from early movers on 5G investments and positioning?
Finnish telco, Elisa, repeatedly achieves surprising wins with innovative new propositions. For example, it now sells Elisa Automate, its fully automated Network Operations Centre (NOC), to other telcos. Most telcos buy their NOCs from vendors. How does this relatively small telco punch so much above its weight? At the heart of the answer is a Finnish word which cannot directly be translated to English: sisu.
Telecoms is moving into its third age: the Coordination Age. Why was it so hard for telcos to adapt when content shifted from the physical to the virtual world with the growth of the Internet, and how can they learn from past experience to create new value in the next seismic change in telecoms and content?
Transformation lies at the heart of most telecoms operators’ strategies but change at companies is painfully slow. This report explains why agility and innovation – the goals of transformation – will remain elusive until CFOs adopt new resource allocation models at their organisations.
The global digital economy is moving into a new age: The Coordination Age. A global need to improve the efficiency of resource utilisation is manifesting in industries and individuals as a desire to “make the world work better”. What role can telcos play in this, and will that ultimately mean the break-up of the telco as we know it?
Passive network sharing is a well-established practice, but 5G may force telcos to consider more active network sharing to overcome financial,
technological and physical constraints. We explore 5G network sharing options and cost structures, drawing lessons from existing agreements.
Becoming a Telco Cloud Service Provider (TCSP) is a new vision for the future of telecoms operators, which promises hugely improved agility, a fundamentally new business model, new services, and new growth. What is this vision, how would it work, and how can it overcome the barriers to change that have thwarted most previous efforts?
To date, discussions of the benefits to telcos of NFV and SDN have mainly focused on reducing operating and capital costs, while the impact on future telco revenues has been somewhat sketchy. In order to fill this gap, this report outlines a comprehensive set of potential new “telco cloud” services, and forecasts associated revenue growth.