Straight To The Point -» No hype, no detours #5

What if the telecom industry’s biggest strategic risk in 2026 isn’t economic slowdown — but being outpaced by competitors who reinvent cost structures and revenue models around AI, digital ecosystems, and sovereign digital infrastructure?

Operators are already signalling this shift. More than 58 % of telecom leaders agree outdated OSS/BSS systems must be modernised to enable AI-ready digital service delivery — or risk falling behind.

Here are three specific forecasts for telecom in 2026 that every CIO/CTO should digest:

Forecast 1 — AI becomes mission-critical, not experimental
AI-assisted automation is expected to reduce operating costs by 30–40 % and cut incident resolution times by up to 60 %, fundamentally redefining network and service operations.(mobilelive.ai)

Forecast 2 — Satellite and new connectivity layers reshape reach and revenue
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity is projected to generate roughly USD 15 billion in annual revenues with 15+ million subscribers by year-end, while direct-to-device services expand basic connectivity outside traditional tower footprints.(deloitte.com)

Forecast 3 — Telcos compete on perks and platform value, not peak speed alone
By the end of 2026, up to one-third of consumers in developed markets may favour service perks (priority access, bundles) over incremental speed improvements, forcing operators to innovate customer value propositions beyond network QoS.(deloitte.com)

All of this happens against a backdrop of geopolitical and regulatory shifts. European regulators are moving toward mandatory phase-outs of certain high-risk vendor equipment in critical telecom infrastructure, reshaping supply chains and vendor strategies.(reuters.com)

For CIOs and CTOs, the imperative is clear:
• accelerate AI and automation integration to turn network intelligence into competitive advantage
• modernise digital support systems (OSS/BSS) to unlock agility and new monetisation models
• embed sovereign data and compute frameworks to ensure compliance and future-proof architecture

2026 won’t be the year telecom tries AI. It will be the year AI decides competitive differentiation.