The Edge Of Telcos' AI Opportunity
ITWire, Friday, July 25th, 2025
As sectors like finance and healthcare charge ahead with AI deployments and the data centre industry lays claim to the 'nuts and bolts of the revolution' territory, much of the telecoms sector has remained extremely cautious with investment - with only a few early movers signalling real intent.
Their traditional role as providers of critical digital infrastructure puts them in a prime position to lead. Yet hesitation risks seeing them relegated to the background, as little more than commoditised bandwidth providers for AI workloads.
It's an understandable position - many telcos still carry the scars of being undercompensated for their backbone role during past waves of digital transformation. But hesitation is no strategy for AI. Telcos must establish their role or risk being sidelined in a new economy where they are uniquely positioned to lead.