To build scalable, trustworthy AI, telcos need to do more than just collect data – they must radically transform how that data is aggregated, labeled, and made available across operational and business functions. In this session, leaders from Intel and Rakuten Symphony examined the critical foundations for AI readiness in telecom: automation, unified data layers, and cloud-native platforms.
Speakers:
Watch the full interview.
The conversation began with a frank assessment of the current state of telecom data: fragmented, siloed and underutilized. Both speakers emphasized the importance of digitization and automation as first steps in the AI journey – laying the groundwork for more advanced capabilities like data federation, intelligent labeling, and AI-native fabrics.
For telcos looking to evolve from infrastructure providers to intelligent service enablers, cloud nativity and horizontal data strategy are essential. Rather than managing separate data domains, CSPs need a unified approach – one that supports both operational efficiency and business monetization.
Despite years of discussion around telco data monetization, progress remains slow. Many operators still generate over 90% of their revenue from traditional connectivity, leaving a vast opportunity untapped. As discussed in the session, telecoms possess rich datasets, from location and usage to demographics and behavior, that can be anonymized and packaged into insights for industries like retail, advertising, and logistics.
However, data monetization will only become real at scale when the foundational infrastructure is ready and that includes robust governance, compliance-aware pipelines, and AI-ready architectures.
Key takeaways
“Non-legacy, non-typical telco revenues are less than 10% in many operator scenarios. So there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Explore how Rakuten Symphony is helping telecom operators accelerate their AI journey – from cloud-native data platforms to real-world monetization use cases. Follow us for more insights.
