5G SA: Is it too late for the slow movers to monetise?
In this annual update to our Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker we focus on 5G core, vRAN/open RAN and cloud-native container orchestration platform deployments by telcos.
In this annual update to our Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker we focus on 5G core, vRAN/open RAN and cloud-native container orchestration platform deployments by telcos.
The telecom industry is going through a period of material change in respect to the silicon it utilises. This report examines the key dynamics and considerations in the locations where processing demand is at its highest: the RAN and AI factories.
Ericsson used its annual analyst event in Boston to outline the steps it is taking to strengthen its enterprise connectivity portfolio, set against the backdrop of a challenging financial period for the company. This report highlights four key themes that emerged from the event.
In this forecast, we estimate the potential revenues for telecom operators from the commercialisation of mobile network APIs. We assess the opportunity across five API families, covering 22 individual APIs and 44 use cases.
Telcos leading the development of mobile network APIs must set strategies now to scale the market beyond the first wave of customers and use cases. We explore three potential pathways for growth: courting new customers, creating new capabilities and a combination of both.
As telcos team up to expand into new markets, what are the key lessons from existing joint ventures?
No one can foresee how and when import tariffs will stabilise – but some
long-term implications are starting to arise.
Most large-scale deployments of virtualised RAN (vRAN) at Tier 1 telcos are currently based on single-vendor architecture. But operators are deploying vRAN in innovative ways that aim to preserve many open RAN benefits. This report looks at the current status of vRAN and open RAN deployments as well as the increasing awareness of the importance of deploying cloud-native RAN across multiple containers-as-a-service (CaaS) layers.

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.
Will artificial intelligence, immersive services, automated transportation and robotics drive a substantial increase in telecom traffic between now and 2032?
Ten years of private network deployments tracked in our global insights tool.
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.
Telco cloud deployment activity slowed down in Q2 2024 with only 20 deployments added to the tracker, eight of which were completed in earlier years. The remaining 12 included five 5G NSA cores (four already launched) and three SA cores, all of which we expect to go live by the end of 2024. In this report we analyse the prospects for 5G SA including a deep-dive on the state of deployments on the public cloud.
The telecoms industry is awash with talk of the revenue opportunity from network exposure. This report highlights the main findings from our recently released network API monetisation market forecast tool, focusing on the use cases and APIs which will generate long-term growth.
Vendors and hyperscalers want to serve telcos with cloud-native network functions that are public cloud-ready – but there are few takers. What should they do?
This playbook provides telcos with an understanding of the fundamentals of the gaming market and where they could fit into it. Following a thorough assessment of telco activities in this area, STL Partners presents four service types and roles that telcos can take, with detailed case studies and analysis to help operators choose their path in gaming.
Telco cloud activity in 2024 is showing signs of growing momentum with 72 deployments in the year to date, in contrast to 90 for the whole of 2023. Even though many of these deployments are announced but yet to complete in 2024, there are improving prospects for vRAN and open RAN, alongside a positive outlook for 5G standalone.