Breaking Free from the Red Ocean: Telecom Innovation with Data and AI

The telecommunications industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. While traditional connectivity services remain essential, the real growth opportunities lie beyond the saturated “red ocean” of price competition and commoditised offerings. Today’s telecom innovation lies in creating new value propositions and capturing uncontested market space—achievable only when operators are willing to think beyond conventional boundaries.

The Established Paradox: Usage Surges and Revenue Plateaus

It’s a well-documented phenomenon that periods of heightened reliance on digital connectivity, such as that experienced globally a few years ago, led to unprecedented surges in internet traffic. Remote work, online education, and a greater demand for digital entertainment became widespread, significantly increasing data consumption. For instance, many recall the record-breaking traffic figures reported by internet exchange points during that time.

However, this dramatic increase in data usage didn’t always translate into a proportional uplift in revenues for many telecommunications operators. The prevailing business model, largely based on flat-rate subscriptions rather than purely usage-based charges, meant that while networks were under greater strain, operators’ income streams often remained relatively stable. To find space for growth, telecom innovation must evolve through adaptable solutions. Let’s dive into some ideas.

Unlocking Telecom Innovation With Value-Added Services Through Devapo Expertise

IoT and Industrial Solutions

The Internet of Things is a pure definition of telecom innovation. It has matured from a buzzword to a business-critical infrastructure across industries. Telecom operators are uniquely positioned to provide end-to-end IoT solutions that encompass device connectivity, management platforms, and advanced analytics. From healthcare monitoring systems to smart manufacturing operations, operators can capture value across the entire IoT ecosystem rather than competing solely on connectivity pricing.

Devapo has specialized in creating AI/ML engines to deliver predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and industry-specific dashboards—making the data valuable to end customers. Thanks to our expertise, Devapo quickly develops industry-ready applications that telecoms can brand and resell as value-added services.

Collaborative Business Models: The B2B2X Advantage

The most innovative operators are moving beyond direct customer relationships to enable entire ecosystems. By partnering with automotive companies, energy providers, healthcare systems, and media companies, telecoms can become the invisible infrastructure that powers new consumer experiences. Smart city initiatives, integrated healthcare platforms, and connected vehicle services all represent opportunities to participate in value creation across multiple industries.

In order to respond to these new telecom innovations opportunities and to help Telecom Operators to unlock new revenue streams, Devapo has built Wholesale Open Platform that can be easily plugged into telecom capabilities, and communication between partners. Devapo Wholesale Open Platform is a partner ecosystem where third parties can list and deliver services over the telecom’s infrastructure. All of it is accompanied with clear and easy-to-read dashboards and KPIs to monitor partner performance, optimize monetization, and improve customer outcomes.

Data and AI: The Goldmine for Telecom Innovation

Telecom operators possess one of the world’s largest repositories of anonymised behavioural and mobility data. When properly leveraged, this information provides valuable insights for urban planning, retail optimisation, and transportation management. Advanced analytics and AI capabilities can transform this data into new revenue streams while enabling hyper-personalized services that command premium pricing.

The convergence of artificial intelligence with network data also enables entirely new service categories. Predictive maintenance, intelligent network optimization, and personalized content delivery represent just the beginning of AI-enabled telecom innovations.

By implementing Devapo’s AI capabilities, Telecom Operators can build their way to find new income streams, but also a way to financial and processes optimization. Here we wrote more about AI for Automated Document Management in Fiber Telecoms.