Telecommunications

Expect the biggest technological advancements the industry has seen in years.

Looking into the present, telecommunications companies are gearing up for some of the biggest technological advancements the industry has seen in years. Emerging trends such as the 5G revolution and the advancement of the internet of things (IoT) will reshape the  sector and force innovation on a massive scale. 

5G will bring three major upgrades from greater speed to move more data, decreased latency for shorter load times and increased ability to connect more devices at once. 5G networks will enable more detailed and efficient augmented and virtual realities, higher resolution video, fully autonomous vehicles, massive connected IoT networks (such as smart cities), and more. 5G is the most highly anticipated change to the future of telecom since……4G!

The IoT consists of a network of connected devices, able to communicate with each other that can be controlled and monitored remotely. There are now an estimated 30 billion connected IoT devices worldwide, many of which are thought to be industrial connections which are an essential component of smart cities.

Smart cities take the IoT a step further by creating an interconnected network that residents can access online, often through mobile apps. A network like this will provide data and communication channels allowing users to better manage their day-to-day activities, from corresponding directly with their government to instantly finding a parking spot on a busy day.

The main goal of smart cities is to create a better quality of living for their citizens by streamlining urban services such as energy and transportation through the use of smart technology. However, prior to the promise of 5G networks, experts couldn’t foresee the capacity to support the amount of data a truly connected city would generate. Now that 5G is a reality many major urban areas will be racing to be the first to introduce their own smart city. 

The use of AI in the telecom industry encompasses a myriad of focus areas. Customer service and network optimisation are at the top of that list. Some of the biggest implementations of AI will be in these spaces and predictive analytics is one of the most promising capabilities of AI technology, especially for the telecom community. AI-based analytics provide telecom companies with the ability to use data and machine learning software to predict future industry trends and potential infrastructure snags, and to continuously assess their service for bugs or potential pitfalls. Additionally, AI-based chat-bots and virtual assistants will transform the way businesses handle customer service. They can automate conversations and successfully mimic human speech, while drawing data and insights to provide personalised and positive experiences.

Diversified Ecosystems will play a large part too as  much like ecosystems function in nature, industrial ecosystems are a network of cross-industry organisations that work together to create a stronger, more advanced industry. The telecom industry will see a move toward creating those lucrative ecosystems. Ecosystems could unlock up to £100 trillion in value during the next 10 years by unlocking competitive agility. Telecom companies have the highest potential to come together and form such alliances. Industry leaders agree, with 83 percent citing ecosystems as an important piece of their disruption strategy.

The introduction of IoT networks, backed with 5G capabilities, will make this even easier and will allow companies to seamlessly collaborate to advance these technologies across their networks.The telecommunications industry is a vital center for cutting-edge technology adoption. With the integration of AI technologies, 5G networks, and the IoT, telecom organisations will continue to be at the forefront of technological growth.

Industry News

  • T-Mobile US, Nvidia, Nokia trial physical AI products powered by AI-RAN
    on March 17, 2026 at 9:22 am

    (Telecompaper) Nokia is partnering T-Mobile US, Nvidia and ecosystem developers for an AI-RAN ecosystem project, aiming to leverage distributed network resources...

  • Samsung halts Galaxy Z TriFold sales in South Korea amid cost pressures
    on March 17, 2026 at 6:21 am

    (Telecompaper) Samsung Electronics has halted sales of its Galaxy Z TriFold foldable smartphone in South Korea despite strong demand, according to Yonhap, citing company sources...

  • Samsung outlines AI memory roadmap and Nvidia collaboration at GTC 2026
    on March 17, 2026 at 6:13 am

    (Telecompaper) Samsung Electronics has presented its latest AI-focused semiconductor developments at Nvidia GTC 2026, highlighting new high-bandwidth memory (HBM)...

  • War halts work on submarine cable link in the Persian Gulf
    by Juan Pedro Tomás on March 16, 2026 at 3:57 pm

    The 2Africa system, hit by the war in the Middle East, will be the largest subsea cable network ever built, spanning 45,000 kilometers In sum – what to know: Project halted – Work on the Persian Gulf portion of the cable has stopped after the war in the Middle East made operations unsafe. Shipping risks

  • ‘Agility is money’, says Microsoft – as agents rewrite Vodafone B2B cycle
    by James Blackman on March 16, 2026 at 3:49 pm

    ‘Frontier’ telcos like Vodafone, AT&T, and Telefónica are deploying hundreds of AI agents across their operations, says Microsoft – to automate processes, accelerate sales, and drive a new kind of operational agility. It has a weeks–to-minutes use-case with Vodafone. But telcos are also slowing in the AI race because of three big problems. In sum

  • Bell plans 300MW AI data centre in Saskatchewan
    on March 16, 2026 at 1:42 pm

    (Telecompaper) Bell Canada (BCE) has partnered with the Government of Saskatchewan to develop a new 300MW data centre in the rural municipality of Sherwood, just outside the provincial capital city of Regina...

  • Telia agrees Swedish sovereign AI deal with Brookfield
    on March 16, 2026 at 8:54 am

    (Telecompaper) Telia Company announced a sovereign artificial intelligence partnership with Brookfield with a long-term view...

  • Meta consortium stalls work on 2Africa Pearls cable due to Iran war - report
    on March 16, 2026 at 8:51 am

    (Telecompaper) Meta Platforms has paused construction of a submarine cable in the Middle East due to the military conflict in the region, Bloomberg reported...

  • Xplora agrees to buy Emporia for undisclosed sum
    on March 16, 2026 at 8:39 am

    (Telecompaper) Xplora Technologies said it has agreed key terms to acquire Emporia, an Austrian company that specialises in mobile phones for older users in the...

  • Why eSIM makes entitlement servers a new growth engine for telcos (Reader Forum)
    by Motive on March 16, 2026 at 8:32 am

    The eSIM is rapidly becoming the default across flagship smartphones, smart glasses, smart watches, and other companion devices. This is increasingly raising an important question, says telecom software provider Motive: are operators truly ready to offer and activate the next generation of digital services at scale? With eSIM becoming standard across major ecosystems, including universal

  • MTN increases dividend 45% after record results in 2025
    on March 16, 2026 at 7:50 am

    (Telecompaper) MTN Group said it increased service revenue by 22.9 percent in 2025 to ZAR 218 billion, underpinned by improved macroeconomic conditions...

  • 3 ways operators are putting AI to work in network service assurance
    by Sulagna Saha on March 13, 2026 at 8:53 pm

    Service assurance is officially graduating from an era of dashboards, tickets, and engineers scrambling to find what’s gone wrong to swift root cause analysis and proactive fixes As AI moves deeper into the network stack, a burst of experimentation has followed to figure out how to best tune the network with AI.  “The networks today

  • 100 billion agents – new networks (and new KPIs) for AI, says Huawei
    by Juan Pedro Tomás on March 13, 2026 at 1:48 pm

    Huawei is proposing a new method to evaluate service quality for AI applications called AI MOS, modeled after the Mean Opinion Score used to measure voice service quality In sum – what to know: Traffic shift ahead – Huawei expects AI agent applications to generate far more uplink traffic than traditional mobile services, forcing networks

  • F-Secure raises FY revenue outlook ahead of deal with Verizon
    on March 13, 2026 at 12:47 pm

    (Telecompaper) F-Secure says it is raising its outlook for 2026 full-year revenue after it signed a partnership with Verizon, adding that this is the major...

  • AT&T refreshes unlimited mobile plans with 3 tiers of service
    on March 13, 2026 at 10:55 am

    (Telecompaper) AT&T announced a refresh of its mobile plans, with three tiers of plan that customers can mix across lines on the same account...

  • ‘Four big moves’ – Thai carrier True outlines AI-geared telco shift
    by Juan Pedro Tomás on March 13, 2026 at 8:38 am

    One of the strategies announced by True centers on embedding AI across network operations, customer service, and internal systems In sum – what to know: Three-year plan – True Corporation has introduced “Four Big Moves” to shift from a traditional telecom operator toward an AI-first telco-tech model. Beyond connectivity – Its roadmap includes new consumer

  • Urgent rethink of telco-cloud-AI ecosystem required, says TIM
    by Juan Pedro Tomás on March 13, 2026 at 8:22 am

    The CEO of TIM outlined how the telecom sector’s priorities are shifting as new digital applications place different demands on networks In sum – what to know: AI is interconnected – TIM CEO Pietro Labriola told MWC that telecoms infrastructure, cloud platforms, and AI technologies operate within the same digital ecosystem. Network priorities – Future

  • From agentic AI to energy KPIs – the trends transforming telcos (Reader Forum)
    by IFS on March 13, 2026 at 8:09 am

    Agentic AI, sustainability mandates, edge-native infrastructure, and AI-augmented workforces are reshaping how operators run networks and serve customers, says enterprise software company IFS. In recent years, the industry has undergone significant changes, whether in network services, infrastructure, or regulations. 2026 is set to be another critical year for the telecoms industry and for Markus Persson,

  • SoftBank’s Telco AI Cloud aims to turn the network into AI infrastructure
    by Christian de Looper on March 12, 2026 at 7:06 pm

    The new Telco AI Cloud architecture integrates large-scale GPU data centers with edge AI-RAN In sum – what we know: SoftBank wants to play more of a role in telco-related AI, and at MWC 2026, it revealed what it calls the Telco AI Cloud — framed as “next-generation social infrastructure,” but really a play to redefine the

  • Agents of chaos – Equinix proposes metro fix for the new AI sprawl
    by James Blackman on March 12, 2026 at 4:30 pm

    As AI workloads splinter across the fragmented cloud-infrastructure landspace, enterprises are scrambling to keep performance, governance, and costs in check. Equinix reckons the answer is in neutral interconnection hubs that simplify last-mile access, orchestrate distributed infrastructure, and bring inference closer to users. In sum – what to know: Distributed AI – Training, inference, and agent

  • AI-Powered Call Analytics: Leveraging Data for Business Insights
    by Allyn Jayawon on October 21, 2024 at 9:00 am

    At RingCentral, we understand the importance of efficient and insightful customer interactions. With today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s essential to not only manage customer calls but to gain valuable insights … Read more "AI-Powered Call Analytics: Leveraging Data for Business Insights" The post AI-Powered Call Analytics: Leveraging Data for Business Insights appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • The Ethical Use of AI in Phone Technology: Protecting Privacy and Ensuring Security
    by Allyn Jayawon on October 14, 2024 at 9:00 am

    As phone technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, AI has become a game-changer, bringing remarkable benefits like boosting productivity and personalising user experiences. For example, a recent survey … Read more "The Ethical Use of AI in Phone Technology: Protecting Privacy and Ensuring Security" The post The Ethical Use of AI in Phone Technology: Protecting Privacy and Ensuring Security appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • Personalisation in Telephony: How AI Transforms User Experiences
    by RingCentral Team on October 7, 2024 at 9:00 am

    Did you know that 91% of consumers prefer to shop with brands that offer relevant offers and recommendations? This stat shows just how much personalised experiences are expected—not just in … Read more "Personalisation in Telephony: How AI Transforms User Experiences" The post Personalisation in Telephony: How AI Transforms User Experiences appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • Challenges and Opportunities: AI Adoption in Telephony for Businesses
    by RingCentral Team on September 30, 2024 at 9:00 am

    In this article, we’ll explore how AI is transforming the landscape of business telephony. We’ll delve into the ways AI is driving significant improvements in communication, efficiency, and customer engagement. … Read more "Challenges and Opportunities: AI Adoption in Telephony for Businesses" The post Challenges and Opportunities: AI Adoption in Telephony for Businesses appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • How AI is Transforming Security in Telephony: A Detailed Overview
    by RingCentral Team on September 23, 2024 at 9:00 am

    In today’s fast-paced digital world, keeping our communication secure is more important than ever. With the rise of sophisticated threats like spam calls, phishing scams, and voice cloning, ensuring the … Read more "How AI is Transforming Security in Telephony: A Detailed Overview" The post How AI is Transforming Security in Telephony: A Detailed Overview appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • Instant Messaging in Business Communications
    by silvia campean on August 12, 2024 at 9:00 am

    What is instant messaging? Instant messaging (IM) empowers businesses to communicate efficiently, collaborate effectively, and enhance customer experiences. Instant messaging (IM) has transformed the way businesses communicate, both internally and … Read more "Instant Messaging in Business Communications" The post Instant Messaging in Business Communications appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • Discover Powerful Communication & Collaboration with RingCentral’s RingEX Demo
    by RingCentral Team on July 22, 2024 at 9:00 am

    Boost business productivity and improve customer interactions with a comprehensive communications solution – RingCentral RingEX. This article dives into RingCentral’s capabilities, explores the features, and guides you through experiencing the … Read more "Discover Powerful Communication & Collaboration with RingCentral’s RingEX Demo" The post Discover Powerful Communication & Collaboration with RingCentral’s RingEX Demo appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • Optimise Outbound Calling with AI-powered Predictive Dialers
    by Allyn Jayawon on June 3, 2024 at 9:00 am

    Traditional outbound calling has long been a cornerstone of sales and customer outreach efforts. However, the challenges associated with manual dialling, such as low agent productivity, frustrated customers, and inefficient … Read more "Optimise Outbound Calling with AI-powered Predictive Dialers" The post Optimise Outbound Calling with AI-powered Predictive Dialers appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • AI-Powered Virtual Assistants: Transforming Customer Service in Contact Centre 2024
    by Allyn Jayawon on May 13, 2024 at 9:00 am

    In today’s cut-throat business environment, providing exceptional customer service is no longer a perk, it’s essential. Customers expect prompt, personalised experiences, and businesses that fail to deliver risk losing their … Read more "AI-Powered Virtual Assistants: Transforming Customer Service in Contact Centre 2024" The post AI-Powered Virtual Assistants: Transforming Customer Service in Contact Centre 2024 appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.

  • AI-Powered Voice Recognition: Transforming Telephony
    by Allyn Jayawon on May 6, 2024 at 9:00 am

    Voice recognition technology, a subset of artificial intelligence, has made significant strides in recent years. By accurately converting spoken language into text, it has opened up new possibilities for human-computer … Read more "AI-Powered Voice Recognition: Transforming Telephony" The post AI-Powered Voice Recognition: Transforming Telephony appeared first on RingCentral UK Blog.