How well are telecom leaders preparing for AI-native disruption?

In the AI era, networks are evolving. They are no longer providing only connectivity. Instead, they are offering

intelligent digital platforms that power enterprise innovation, autonomous operations and entirely new business

models.

This transformation puts telecom providers at the hear of the new digital economy. And what an opportunity this is. GSMA Intelligence estimates new enterprise markets could deliver more than $400 billion in addressable value for operators. That’s nearly one-third of total enterprise revenues today. But capturing this opportunity will be a challenge. It will require a fundamental shift in how telcos operate, innovate and create value for customers. In other words, telcos must become TechCos.

The transition to AI-native, autonomous and cloud-native networks is now underway. To make it happen, telcos

must modernise legacy environments, operationalise AI at scale, simplify operations and build agile, platform-based ecosystems capable of delivering differentiated enterprise services with speed and intelligence.

The broader telecom ecosystem has a vital role to play too. Technology and engineering specialists must support

telcos with AI-first models that accelerate modernization and unlock new growth opportunities. Ultimately, success will depend not just on investment, but also on the strength of strategic partnerships and the ability to execute transformation at scale.

So how is the industry approaching the TechCo transition? To find out, we collaborated on the HCLTech Telecom

Pulse Survey Report, developed in partnership with Mobile World Live. We wanted to understand where operators

are prioritizing investments and how prepared the ecosystem is for the AI-driven future.

The findings provide valuable insights. They offer a perspective on where the market is headed, how peers are

responding to change and which capabilities will be critical to compete successfully in the AI era.

At HCLTech, we remain committed to helping telecom providers accelerate this transformation through our

engineering-led, AI-first, IP-driven approach — enabling intelligent operations, modern digital platforms and

future-ready network ecosystems.