Telcos: "We Don't Want to Be a Utility"... Well, the Reality Is Worse.
The post argues that telecom operators, once proud to avoid the "utility" label, now need that identity as they lag behind power utilities in growth. While telcos average only 4% revenue expansion, utilities surged 8% in 2025 by becoming AI data feedstock. The author attributes the stagnation to a five‑dimensional trap—regulatory, technological, market, consumer, and cultural—that produces uniform mediocrity. Vendors offering silver‑bullet solutions only mask deeper structural issues.
"We Need to Think About the Network as a Product“
Telstra’s Product & Technology Group executive Kim Krogh Andersen warned that telcos are still treating their core infrastructure as a mere "pipe" rather than a marketable product. He argued that the network’s 99.999% reliability should be packaged as a programmable...
Who Will Be the "Cisco of AI Tokens"?
The post argues that the TCP/IP protocol, which has powered the internet for four decades, is reaching its functional limits as AI demands move from moving bits to moving meaning. It frames the transition as a shift from a syntactic...
Yes. Europe Is Lagging Way Behind in 5G, But...
The GSMA warns that Europe must invest roughly $216 billion to close a widening 5G gap, with current capital spending per mobile connection at $38—half the $76 spent in leading markets. Operator returns have slipped below 7% and fragmented regulations choke...
Starlink MVNO, but Why?
SpaceX plans to launch 10,000 Starlink satellites by May 2026 and has filed for a million more, positioning the constellation for a mobile‑virtual‑network‑operator (MVNO) model. The article argues that pure satellite‑to‑phone service cannot replace 5G small cells because signals cannot penetrate...
Satellite Frenzy: Show Me the Money
The satellite communications industry is accelerating, with more than 120 telco partnerships and capital expenditures topping $100 billion as firms race to dominate Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband. While the broader satellite market generates roughly $293 billion in annual revenue, the LEO...
Only 4 Tier-1 Telcos Are Growing at Two Digits
The Q1 2026 financial e‑report shows that revenue growth for global Tier‑1 carriers has essentially stalled, despite record data consumption. In the West, telcos are locked in a zero‑sum churn battle tied to flat GDP. Only four operators—T‑Mobile US, Reliance Jio,...
Is the U.S. Fiber Frenzy Justified?
The United States has moved past the hype of its fiber rollout and entered a capital‑intensive rebuild of the fixed‑access layer. By April 2026, fiber will serve more than 60% of households and exceed 100 million passings, yet roughly 16% of...
Starlink Is a Long-Term Risk to Telcos
SpaceX is pouring roughly $20 billion into its Starlink low‑Earth‑orbit constellation, positioning it as more than a backup for the world’s remaining unconnected pockets. Telecom operators worldwide are racing to embed Starlink into their service portfolios, hoping to offer truly ubiquitous...
Verizon Breaks a 13-Year Curse in a Promising Q1
Verizon reported its first positive postpaid phone net additions in Q1 2026, adding 55,000 devices after a 13‑year streak of declines. The carrier posted adjusted EBITDA of $13.4 billion, free cash flow of $3.8 billion, and adjusted EPS of $1.28. Total wireless...
D2D: Niche or Mainstream Opportunity?
The post explores the emerging D2D standard that lets smartphones communicate directly with satellites, questioning whether it will stay a niche technology or become mainstream. While current adoption is limited to extreme‑environment IoT and adventure use cases, the author argues...
How to Build an AI-Native Telco (And Why 99% of Operators Will Fail)
The article argues that telecom operators must transform from fragmented, human‑driven processes to AI‑native, closed‑loop operating systems. By converting every meeting, workflow and manual task into searchable data, operators can create a "queryable company" that continuously learns and optimizes. This...
"Telco Convergence Is an Elevated Name for Discounts"
AT&T’s Q1 2026 earnings reveal its new OneConnect bundle, pairing fiber broadband with wireless service under a single price. Verizon and T-Mobile are accelerating Fixed Wireless Access deployments to rival the bundled offering. Industry commentator Craig Moffett argues that convergence...
Q1 Results: Nokia´s AI Gambit Is Working
Nokia reported a strong Q1 2026, highlighting its shift to pure‑play AI infrastructure. The company booked €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in hyperscaler optical orders and saw operating profit jump 54% to €281 million ($309 million). Net profit flipped to a €87 million ($96 million) gain on...
You Block NVIDIA. You Build Huawei
Jensen Huang has repeatedly warned that cutting China off from Western AI technology will backfire, pointing to Huawei’s resilience. Despite two decades of U.S. sanctions, Huawei remains the world’s largest telecom equipment vendor, with no American competitor matching its scale....