In our last blog of 2024, Maplewave’s resident futurist, Will Gibson, shares 10 industry-changing predictions that telcos should be prepared for next year.
As we quickly approach 2025, the telco industry finds itself at a crossroads. We’re witnessing rapid changes to technology, consumer behaviour, and commercial possibilities. In the coming year, I predict we will see significant reinventions in the way operators engage with customers, structure their services, and evolve their business models.
In my role as VP of Marketing & Amplifier at Maplewave, I’ve had the proverbial “front-row seat” to these changes as I’ve consulted with some of the largest telcos, retailers, and technology providers from around the world. Telcos are moving their focus beyond minutes and megabytes, and instead are embedding themselves into the daily experiences, aspirations, and value systems of their consumer and business clients. Every node of the telco ecosystem is lighting up with innovation.
In this edition of Telco Talk, we’ll explore 10 key themes that I believe will shape the telco landscape by 2025. This deep-dive analysis is not merely a trend list; it’s a roadmap for anyone who cares about the future of telecommunications. We’ve drawn on data from reputable industry bodies like the GSMA, CTIA, and the ITU, as well as from leading brands’ activities and early pilots in markets as diverse as Europe, North America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. The result is a picture of an industry that is both consolidating and diversifying, renewing its focus on people even as it leans on technology for scale and efficiency. Let’s dig in!
1) Retail Telco Stores Embrace the Conversation
By the end of 2025, expect telco retail stores to feel more like upscale lounges or tech cafes rather than transactional outlets. In a world where more and more customers are using e-commerce for basic purchases, the physical store’s role must evolve. Rather than being a place purely to buy a SIM card or upgrade a smartphone, these stores will become experiential hubs where customers receive personalized consultations, hands-on demos of the latest and greatest tech – and yes, even a cappuccino on the house.
This shift is already underway! In Western Europe, operators like EE in the UK have been experimenting with new store concepts that encourage customers to linger, ask questions, and explore devices in a comfortable environment. In North America, AT&T’s flagship stores in Boston and Chicago have replaced rows of cash desks with modular, flexible seating areas. According to Deloitte’s 2023 Digital Influence Survey, consumers who engage in immersive, consultative retail environments are 40% more likely to make a considered purchase and report higher brand satisfaction.
By 2026, this approach will be the norm. Telco staff will be more like ‘tech baristas’ than just sales agents, and be adept in the latest devices, connected home solutions, entertainment bundles, and security packages. Customers will appreciate the sense of community, human connection, and expertise. Small changes like this go a long way in building customer loyalty in a highly commoditized sector.
2) Telco-Gaming Crossover Accelerates
The gaming industry, worth over $200 billion globally by some estimates, is a massive arena where telcos can flex their connectivity muscles. With the rise of cloud gaming services (like NVIDIA GeForce NOW or Xbox Cloud Gaming) and the growing popularity of e-sports, stable and ultra-low-latency connections have become paramount. Telcos have realized this and have started to create specialized tariffs for gaming, and bundling them with perks like discounted gaming subscriptions, early access to new titles, or VIP passes to e-sports events.
In Asia, operators like SK Telecom have partnered with leading gaming companies to offer “game passes” that include guaranteed Quality of Service levels. In Europe, VMo2 has capitalized on its sponsorship of the o2 Arena in London to host the biggest e-sport event in the world, the massive League of Legends World Finals 2024. EE have also done a beautiful job of showcasing gaming products and accessories in their retail stores, and you can now get a Playstation5 on your bill or buy the latest game while in store. I covered EE’s approach to gaming in a past blog, How To Win New Telco Customers With Gaming, if you’d like to see more!
By 2025, the telco-gaming relationship will deepen. You’ll start to see brand-sponsored virtual reality lounges in flagship stores and unique in-game benefits reserved for telco subscribers. This crossover also creates a robust pipeline to next-gen content delivery platforms - metaverse projects, VR training modules, and holographic communication - all of which depend on the high-speed pipelines that telcos specialize in. Game on!
3) Data Banks as a Form of Social Good
In an era defined by data inequity, some telcos are stepping up with “data banks” that act like food banks: pools of donated or subsidized mobile data that can be distributed to those in need.
In the UK, Virgin Media O2’s offering is the National Data Bank initiative. According to Ofcom, up to 1.5 million UK households still face some form of digital exclusion, and that number is mirrored in markets worldwide. Qualifying customers can get 25GB of data for free for 12 months, in an attempt to bridge this digital divide and get more people connected.
While doing the right thing is always a noble pursuit, data banks are also a way for telcos to differentiate themselves. The telco industry has often been criticized for its complexity and cost. As telcos compete on more than just price, showcasing a tangible, positive social impact will help them stand out. By 2025, being known for supporting digital inclusion could be as important as having the fastest 5G network.
4) Self-Care Apps Become Integrated Shopfronts
The humble self-care app is evolving from a billing portal into a one-stop digital hub for all customer needs. Today’s self-care apps let users track usage, pay bills, and select add-ons. By 2025, these platforms will become virtual shopfronts that seamlessly blend account management, product discovery, tailored recommendations, and AI-driven chat support into one app.
Operators are already moving in this direction. T-Mobile’s “T-Life” app is redefining what it means to be digitally connected to your telco. Going way beyond the core self-care features, this app lets you manage your family connections, shop, upgrade, and leverage the many benefits that T-Mobile offers. By using data visualization tools, these apps will help customers understand their consumption patterns more clearly. Imagine a dashboard that not only shows you how much data you’ve used, but also suggests how to optimize your plan, add a gaming pass, or upgrade to a 5G home broadband solution if you consistently hit network performance thresholds.
AI chatbots, trained on millions of customer interactions, will handle the majority of first-line customer inquiries. For sales, these digital assistants will highlight personalized offers at the perfect moment, turning what was once a cost centre (customer care) into a new revenue channel. According to Juniper Research, telco spending on AI-driven customer support is expected to exceed $1.3 billion globally by 2024, setting the stage for the intelligent shopfront to become standard.
5) The Death of IVR Loops
Have you ever called customer service and been stuck in a maze of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) options? Frustrating! By 2025, those experiences should recede as AI-driven voice bots and natural language processing replace IVR menus. These advanced voice assistants will quickly understand a caller’s intent and route them to the correct team, or even solve the issue on the spot.
Major carriers like Verizon and BT have been testing AI-based call handling systems. Verizon’s AI can predict why customers call at an 80% accuracy rate. Gartner predicts that by 2026, conversational AI will reduce contact centre agent labour costs by 80 billion dollars. For telcos, this upgrade not only saves operating costs, but also improves customer satisfaction. No more “press 1” for billing or “2” for technical support. Instead, saying “I’m having trouble with my broadband speed” will be enough to reach the right help.
These AI-driven systems will learn from every interaction, improving accuracy, empathy, and response quality over time. The net effect? Shorter wait times, better triaging, and a brand perception shift away from cold and bureaucratic to efficient and responsive. I personally cannot wait for this one to hurry up!
6) B2B Crossover in Retail Spaces
As retail spaces become more experiential and customer-focused, there is a great opportunity to have telco stores double as a consultation centre for B2B customers.
Telcos like Vodafone have started offering dedicated business zones in select flagship stores. In the Middle East, e& (formerly Etisalat) is training store staff to handle both consumer and SME queries. This shift is logical: Many SMEs lack dedicated IT staff and can benefit from face-to-face guidance on connectivity, cloud solutions, and cybersecurity packages. According to research by Analysys Mason, the SME telecom market is expected to grow 4-5% annually in many regions, offering a lucrative segment that is still under-served.
By merging B2B and consumer retail experiences under one roof, telcos maximize their real estate investment and create a richer ecosystem where entrepreneurs and personal customers alike can find solutions, advice, and support without navigating separate channels.
Now many telcos have been here before – and failed. This time though, with the rise of commoditization in the SME solution space, and self-care tools more readily available for business customers, telcos will be able to learn the lessons of the past and do it right this time!
7) An M&A Wave Reshapes the Landscape
The telecoms industry is known for its mergers and acquisitions, but you can expect a surge in this area in 2025. Driven by changing financial regulations, taxation policies, and investments in networks and digital platforms, larger players will absorb smaller rivals, forming multi-market conglomerates. This echoes examples that we’ve witnessed in Europe, like e& scaling across multiple markets by acquiring a controlling stake in the PPF Group in Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2025, don’t be shocked when mid-sized operators join global alliances or are gobbled up by larger players. Expect a more concentrated industry where fewer, bigger entities shape the competitive landscape.
According to AlphaSense, while telecom deal volumes decreased sharply by over 20% in 2022, there has been a major bounce back since then due to generative AI. But this pace is expected to continue or accelerate as companies look to strengthen their balance sheets and extend their service portfolios.
While this may reduce some level of market fragmentation, it can also bring much-needed investment and innovation. Larger groups can fund ambitious 5G rollouts, integrate cutting-edge AI tools, and expand rural connectivity initiatives more effectively. For consumers, the hope is that these mergers will bring more consistent service quality, broader coverage, and accelerated time-to-market for new technologies.
8) AI’s Meteoric Rise - With Some Speed Bumps
AI will be everywhere in the telecom world by 2025 - enabling predictive network maintenance, optimizing customer journeys, automating support, and driving AR/VR experiences. But as quickly as AI systems become commonplace, so will the risk of high-profile errors and compliance missteps.
Imagine a widely reported incident where an AI-driven recommendation leads to misconfigured enterprise networks or violates privacy regulations. Yikes! Good news though, these events will act as reality checks and trigger a renewed focus on responsible AI deployment.
When this happens, expect telcos and industry regulators to implement stricter AI governance frameworks. The European Union’s AI Act, expected to come into effect in the coming years, will set standards for transparency, accountability, and data protection. Telcos will invest heavily in explainable AI solutions with robust audit trails for algorithmic decision-making. According to IDC, by 2025, 53% of telecom operators will have Chief AI Officers or similar roles to oversee responsible AI strategies and compliance.
This temporary pullback from “move fast and break things” will be healthy. It will ensure AI’s transformative power is channeled ethically and sustainably, maintaining the industry’s credibility and customer trust.
9) Satellite Connectivity Fills the Gaps
One of the most intriguing developments heading into 2025 is the rise in satellite connectivity partnerships. Space-based networks, like Starlink and OneWeb, have begun offering broadband coverage to rural and hard-to-reach areas. Now telcos are forging alliances to ensure seamless coverage where terrestrial networks fall short.
In 2022, T-Mobile announced a partnership with SpaceX to provide text coverage in dead zones across the U.S. Similarly, Australian operators have begun exploring satellite backhaul solutions to connect remote communities. According to the ITU, nearly 3 billion people remain offline globally, many due to lack of infrastructure. By 2025, satellite-telco partnerships will be a common method of extending connectivity. This will help close the digital divide, opening new markets and customer segments for telcos while fulfilling a social mission aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Beyond rural coverage, satellite connectivity could also serve as a backup or redundancy layer for urban networks, ensuring uninterrupted service even during natural disasters or network outages.
10) The Training and Upskilling Explosion
Our final prediction is one I am eagerly awaiting. As AI, automation, and advanced digital tools take centre stage, a skills gap emerges. Telcos and their partners will respond by launching comprehensive training services. From internal staff training on AI-based support tools, to consumer workshops on connected home setups, telcos will become education hubs. This isn’t purely altruistic: a more digitally literate customer base uses more advanced services and stays loyal.
AI makes the creation of eLearning content easier. Tutorials, how-to videos, and interactive guides can be generated on-demand and personalized to each learner’s level. Telcos can partner with edtech firms, offering courses that teach everything from basic digital literacy to small-business e-commerce skills powered by next-gen connectivity.
Vodafone’s ‘Business Training Academy’ and AT&T’s ‘Future Ready’ initiative are early indicators. These programs build trust, drive engagement, and unlock new revenue streams in professional training and consulting. According to the World Economic Forum, upskilling and reskilling efforts could add $6.5 trillion to the global GDP by 2030. In the coming years, telcos will be active participants in this training revolution, leveraging their networks, content platforms, and data insights to help people and businesses keep pace with technological change.
Wrap Up
Next year, the telecoms industry will be defined by more than just faster networks - it will be judged on its empathy, adaptability, and social impact. These changes are not mere speculation. They’re already in motion, hinted at by pilot programs, market partnerships, regulatory moves, and shifting consumer tastes. By the time we reach 2025, many of these ideas will be mainstream, setting new standards for an industry once considered slow to innovate but now roaring ahead.
At Maplewave, we’ve seen these shifts up close in our work with telcos and retailers worldwide. The telecom industry’s future belongs to those who embrace new ideas, forge meaningful partnerships, and put customers at the centre of everything they do. We remain optimistic, confident, and energized by this evolution - and we look forward to continuing to share insights as the story of telecom’s transformation unfolds. Keep an eye on us; we promise more #BigIdeas to come.
Will Gibson
Offering insight and concrete solutions for telcos looking to take their business to the next level.
