Where Are CSPs Placing Their Bets?

Subscribe to Blog

Slide3Telecoms is no longer just about selling minutes and megabytes. The real question now is: where will the next wave of growth come from?

At the Qvantel Digital Leaders Summit in Dubai, a panel of senior executives tackled this head-on under the theme “Where should telcos place their bets?”. The answer was clear: the future lies beyond connectivity — and the biggest opportunity is in B2B.

The panel agreed on three points:

  • Telcos are no longer just telcos. The most forward-looking operators are evolving into digital service companies, already generating significant revenues from services outside traditional connectivity.
  • Measuring success needs to change. KPIs like ARPU and network quality are being replaced by Customer Lifetime Value and Quality of Experience.
  • The growth prize is B2B. While it already makes up 40% of revenues, it represents close to 80% of future growth.

Why B2B Matters

The numbers back this up. McKinsey’s 2025 survey of 3,000 enterprise decision-makers found that over 80% want CSPs to do more than connectivity. They’re asking for ICT services such as IoT, cloud, analytics, cybersecurity, and AI.

The GSMA has estimated the size of the prize: CSPs could capture up to $406 billion of the $1.16 trillion enterprise tech services market. That’s not a side business — that’s a major growth engine.

Betting on Verticals

CSPs can’t go after every industry, so they’re betting on the ones where their assets — infrastructure, customer base, data, and trust — align with digital transformation needs.

The top industries? Transport & logistics, banking, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, energy & utilities, construction, and hospitality.

And the solutions are real:

  • 5G-enabled fleet management and drone delivery in logistics
  • Secure networks and fraud detection in banking
  • Remote patient monitoring in healthcare
  • AI-powered video analytics in retail
  • Smart factories in manufacturing
  • Smart grid monitoring in utilities
  • Smart check-ins in hospitality

These are complex ICT solutions — not just “connectivity plus.”

The Systems Behind the Shift

Chasing B2B revenues requires new tools. Traditional BSS wasn’t built for multi-product ICT deals. Now, CSPs need systems that can handle richer product catalogues, CPQ, partner management, and AI-driven sales and delivery.

BSS is becoming a critical enabler of this transformation.

Final Word

CSPs have already started their journey from connectivity providers to digital service companies. What stood out at the Digital Leaders Summit was the optimism — this shift is no longer a theory, it’s happening.

The only question now is: which industries will CSPs bet on, and how fast can they move?

Subscribe to Blog