Value Creation Strategies in TME and Telecom

Personally, I’ve always been intrigued by the ever-evolving nature of the telecom industry—and right now, I see some fascinating trends from these intelligent service orchestrators of a connected world. Across major players globally, strategies look different, but they all circle back to one truth: customer stickiness beats infrastructure. Telecom strategy is splitting in two directions—price disruption on one side, ecosystem lock-in on the other. In the UK, ultra-low-cost mobile offers are reshaping competitive dynamics. The playbook is clear: attract price-sensitive customers, build volume fast, lock them into an ecosystem, and upsell later. Cheap isn’t just about price—it’s about creating competitive pressure. When one player goes low, others must follow or risk losing share. The bet? Getting customers in the door matters more than immediate margin. The real money comes later—from upgrades, bundles, and loyalty. Across the Atlantic, the story looks different. Recent quarterly results show integrated fiber-mobile strategies adding hundreds of thousands of subscribers, while aggressive expansion models are driving near double-digit service revenue growth. Some operators are doubling down on cost discipline and cultural resets; others are weaving connectivity into a single experience to lock in households. Different tactics, same truth: customer stickiness beats infrastructure. The telecom wars aren’t about towers anymore—they’re about ecosystems, experience, and speed. From a CTIO strategy perspective, this shift demands decisive action: - Rethink architecture for rapid onboarding at scale - Drive seamless integration across connectivity, cloud, and digital services - Embed predictive analytics to anticipate churn and optimize pricing - Automate operations without sacrificing experience And here’s where AI becomes the lever for growth and margin protection: Predictive AI to forecast churn and dynamically adjust offers Conversational AI to handle high-volume, low-margin support efficiently Generative AI to accelerate marketing and upsell campaigns AI-driven orchestration to manage complex multi-service bundles intelligently The winners will master both—value upfront and intelligence over time. #TelecomStrategy #AIinBusiness Kosha Majmundar Julia von Praveen Shankar

SMEs: The Forgotten Segment in Telecom Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are crucial to the global economy, contributing significantly to employment and GDP. Despite this, telecom providers often focus on larger enterprises, overlooking the potential of SMEs. This article outlines the benefits of targeting SMEs and strategies for telecom providers to capture this market. The Opportunity: Economic Significance of SMEs: SMEs contribute up to 70% of employment and GDP globally. By targeting SMEs, telecom providers can tap into a vast and underserved market. Demand for Technology: SMEs are investing in technology to boost productivity and competitiveness. The demand for digital tools like cloud computing and e-commerce platforms is growing, presenting a lucrative opportunity for telecom providers. Revenue Growth Potential: The B2B market is expected to grow faster than the consumer market, driven by mobile data and IT services demand. Focusing on SMEs can help telecom providers achieve higher growth rates and diversify their revenue streams. Challenges and Solutions: Cost and Accessibility: SMEs face high costs and limited access to advanced technologies. Telecom providers can address this by offering affordable, scalable solutions tailored to SMEs' needs. Simplifying service offerings and providing flexible payment options can lower the entry barrier. Customized Solutions: SMEs require personalized solutions. Telecom providers should develop modular and customizable service packages that can be easily adapted to SMEs' varying requirements. Support: Many SMEs lack the technical expertise to implement new technologies. Telecom providers can offer support services, including training, technical assistance, and dedicated account management, to help SMEs navigate their digital transformation journey.How to play : Enhance Customer Understanding: Telecom providers should invest in understanding SMEs' specific needs and pain points. Segmenting the SME market based on industry, size, and technological readiness can help tailor solutions accordingly. Partnerships and Ecosystems: Building partnerships with technology providers, local vendors, and educational institutions can help telecom providers deliver comprehensive solutions to SMEs. These collaborations can facilitate innovative product development, provide training, and ensure robust support systems. Focus on Core Connectivity and IT Services: Telecom providers should prioritize core connectivity offerings and selectively add IT services that complement these offerings, including managed security, cloud services, and data analytics. SMEs allows telecom providers to unlock growth opportunities and contribute to economic development. Tailored solutions, affordable pricing, and comprehensive support are key to capturing this market. https://mck.co/4dd89KC

🚀 AI in Telecom: From Hype to Business Value 💡 Every C-suite telecom and enterprise tech leader knows the AI gold rush is in full swing. But the real question is: How do we move beyond the hype and create real business value? Vodafone Business is showing the way, growing around +5.8% in 3Q25. In a recent industry briefing on Feb 20th, their strategy leaders made one thing clear: AI must drive monetization, not just efficiency. 🔥 3 Ways Vodafone Business is Turning AI into Revenue: 1️⃣ Vendor-led AI feature releases – Leveraging best-in-class AI capabilities from partners but only when they add clear business value. 2️⃣ Vodafone-led AI-driven data services – Turning proprietary network data into valuable business insights for industries like retail, tourism, and real estate. 3️⃣ Managed AI Infrastructure – Offering AI infrastructure as a service, but with a clear differentiation strategy to avoid competing solely on GPUs. 🔍 AI Monetization: The Playbook 📌 Standardized AI evaluation framework – Vodafone assesses AI use cases using business value vs. feasibility, ensuring each initiative delivers measurable impact. 📌 No need to build a custom LLM – Instead, Vodafone fine-tunes existing models with proprietary data, ensuring faster deployment and lower costs. 📌 API-first approach – AI solutions like Location Insights provide real-time analytics via APIs, enabling seamless enterprise adoption, especially in retail, tourism, and real estate. 🚨 The Takeaway for C-Level Leaders: ✅ AI success = Monetization + Differentiation – CSPs and enterprises must move beyond “efficiency gains” and focus on new revenue streams. ✅ Customer intimacy is key – Winning in AI isn’t just about technology—it’s about understanding business pain points and delivering value. ✅ Don’t fall into the LLM trap – Instead of reinventing the wheel, use existing models and fine-tune them with proprietary data. 📢 Are you thinking about AI the right way? Drop a comment below – how is your organization leveraging AI for real business value rather than just hype? 👇 #AI #Telecom #Vodafone #DigitalTransformation #AIInnovation #BusinessValue #BellLabsConsulting https://lnkd.in/epU8V2r5