Across APAC, operators are shifting from pure connectivity to digital service enablement. AI-driven monetization, ecosystem collaboration, and customer ownership emerged as key themes in a recent session moderated by Abe Nejad of The Network Media Group (NMG), which explored how telcos are reinventing themselves as techcos – unlocking new revenue streams while partnering with hyperscalers, fintechs, and OTTs without losing control of the customer relationship.
Speakers:
Watch the full interview.
The session framed a three-layer view – network for AI, infrastructure for AI, and apps for AI – and underscored an outcome-backed approach to transformation. Leaders emphasized that value shows up first in customer experience (owning the journey via hyper-personalization), operations (AI agents as tireless “co-workers”), and enterprise growth (industry-specific solutions that combine telco data, private 5G, and edge). Rather than bolt AI onto legacy processes, participants urged process redesign so networks become adaptive and able to reconfigure as use cases and user behavior change.
The leaders outlined that telcos can collaborate with hyperscalers and OTTs while protecting customer relationships by differentiating with trusted data, deterministic connectivity (e.g., slicing), and telco-grade assurance. Ecosystem APIs, such as authentication or location, enable co-created experiences where telco data adds security and context without ceding ownership.
Culture and organization surfaced as decisive. The leaders highlighted clear vision from the top, cross-functional collaboration, digital-first agility, and role-based AI upskilling – from users to practitioners. Strong AI governance (privacy, transparency, and controls) keeps innovation aligned with regulation and market maturity across APAC.
“I think the more you go deep into what AI can do for you to improve customer stickiness and deliver differentiated customer experiences, the more you'll start realizing that you've got to own your AI.”
