Data is the new gold – and in telecom, data is rapidly transforming how operators enhance customer experiences, increase revenue, and improve retention. In a recent interview by The Network Media Group (NMG), industry leaders explored the challenges and opportunities for telcos harnessing data to drive meaningful change. With powerful analytics, telcos can optimize services, tailor customer interactions, and reinforce trust in a data-centric world – this was the crux of the discussion.
Asif Muhammad Iqbal, Head of Data and AI CoE, Maxis, and Faiq Khan, SVP of Global Sales OSS BU, Rakuten Symphony, highlighted the potential of data and AI in telecom’s evolution, guided by Abe Nejad, Publisher of NMG. The leaders explained that for telcos, leveraging data has become integral to strategic decision-making, ensuring customer experiences are data-backed and personalized. While telcos have abundant data, legacy infrastructure can limit the ability to derive real value from it. Hence, optimizing data infrastructure becomes a necessary step to unleash the full potential of AI-driven insights.
One of the session’s central themes was data governance and privacy, highlighting the sensitive nature of telecom data, which includes user IDs, browsing patterns, and application usage. Data governance challenges vary across regions, with regulations like GDPR in Europe and PDPA in Malaysia shaping telco strategies. Building customer trust requires transparency about data collection and usage with subscribers.
The discussion emphasized that trust is a foundation upon which telcos can build long-lasting relationships with customers. While customers increasingly understand the value of their data, telcos must collaborate with regulatory bodies to create consistent standards that protect privacy without stifling innovation.
The speakers also discussed future directions for telcos in leveraging data. The leaders explained that many operators start with customer-focused use cases, such as personalized marketing campaigns, and then progress to more complex applications like network forecasting and optimization. The future lies in deeper collaboration between telcos, enterprises, and app providers to create seamless, data-driven experiences for users.
“A telco has privacy-sensitive data... as a custodian of my customers’ data, it’s about what I can do, what I should do, and what I should not do. That will build trust and create a more sustainable relationship with the data subject – or, in our case, the subscriber.”
“I believe that data is there, information is there… Telcos and various OTT players and enterprises need to come and collaborate more… That’s where the future is.”
The session underscored that while data holds immense potential, making it actionable requires robust infrastructure, ethical governance, and collaborative innovation. As telcos continue to refine their data strategies, the focus remains on creating value, building trust, and enhancing customer experiences. In the era where data is the new gold, telcos’ ability to harness this resource responsibly and effectively will shape the industry’s future.
Watch the full interview here.
