Analysys Mason's Telecoms Podcast

In this podcast, our space experts, Christopher Baugh, Partner, and Prachi Kawade, Senior Analyst, cover how Amazon Leo and TeraWave from Blue Origin will soon enter the low-Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity market and raise the competitive pressure on today’s satellite broadband leaders. Amazon Leo’s LEO network pairs gigabit class, enterprise-grade performance with deep AWS integration, signalling a cloud-native challenger built for far more than consumer access. Blue Origin’s TeraWave constellation will up the ante with a multi-orbit, ultra-high throughput design aimed squarely at enterprise, government and data-centre workloads. We compare these architectures with Starlink’s model and highlight where features such as symmetrical multi-Tbit/s capacity and built-in redundancy could shift expectations for non-terrestrial networks. We also examine the strategic and operational hurdles both players must clear to compete globally. Explore our related programmes:  Satellite Capacity Satellite Broadband

In this podcast, Research Partners Caroline Gabriel, Chris Baugh and Tom Rebbeck discuss the key topics that we will cover in our research in 2026. They explore spectrum, AI and why the telecoms industry may be ‘losing its religion’. Caroline, Chris and Tom also share the one thing that they will be watching most closely in 2026. Learn more about our research and insights here

The space industry is entering a decisive phase as satellite connectivity, government investment and new commercial models move from experimentation to large-scale deployment. In this podcast episode, Christopher Baugh, Partner and Head of Space Research, is joined by Antoine Grenier, Partner and Head of Space Consulting, alongside Lluc Palerm and Claude Rousseau, Research Directors in Analysys Mason’s space practice. They discuss why 2026 will mark a year of adoption and scaling for the space sector, including the accelerating integration of satellite and terrestrial networks; rising demand for direct-to-device services; increasing government focus on sovereignty and control; and the implications of growing investment, consolidation and infrastructure build-out across the space value chain. Read the full predictions here: Predictions for the space industry in 2026. Watch the video episode here: Predictions for the space industry in 2026

At Analysys Mason, we celebrate every successful deal. In 2025, we supported over 210 deals across a range of technology-enabled services, from traditional telecoms and digital infrastructure to emerging sectors like space, IT services and software. It has been a year of growth, collaboration and transformation, as we have strengthened ties with the investment community and embraced new business models. In this podcast episode, Alessandro Ravagnolo, Partner, is joined by Charles Murray, Partner, as they delve into the Analysys Mason technology, media and telecoms (TMT) merger and acquisition (M&A) predictions for 2026. They explore how TMT investors will navigate the evolving landscape of market consolidation, the impact of new technologies like AI and the strategic decisions that will shape the industry’s future. Join us as we look ahead to another year of bold ideas, strategic partnerships and transformative deals. Explore all of our M&A predictions Watch the the video

Telecoms operators will face critical strategic decisions in 2026 as AI investment reshapes the communications infrastructure landscape and intensifies pressure on traditional network economics. In this episode, Alessandro Ravagnolo, Partner, is joined by Caroline Gabriel, Partner, and Charles Murray, Partner, to discuss how telecoms operators should respond as capital requirements for AI and digital infrastructure increase. They explore the investment decisions that operators must make, the implications for network ownership and infrastructure strategy, and whether market consolidation will be essential to achieving scale and sustainable returns. Read the associated full predictions:  Telecoms operators will battle for position as their infrastructure capex is dwarfed by spending on AI France is likely to be the next major European market to go from four to three mobile operators in 2026

In this podcast, Gilles Monniaux, Principal at Analysys Mason, speaks with Ahmed Haddad, Technical Advisor at Arcep, about the French regulator’s approach to the evolution of wireless networks and digital sustainability. They begin by discussing a study conducted by Analysys Mason on behalf of Arcep on the evolution of the uses of wireless telecoms networks and on the dimensioning of those networks. They also explore digital sustainability and how Arcep incorporates it into its work. Topics include: the potential evolution of wireless network use cases (evolution of demand) the ability of wireless networks to increase their capacity through developments such as refarming, increased network sharing, the use of new spectrum bands, etc. (evolution of networks) how the study uses scenarios to assess the impact of the uncertainty associated with the evolution of both demand and networks the environmental impact hotspots in the ICT sector, including devices, networks and data centres how a regulator like Arcep int

Sovereign military satellite communication (satcom) networks are evolving from closed systems to hybrid architectures that integrate commercial satellite capacity to meet growing demand. In this episode, Christopher Baugh, Partner, speaks with Luke Wyles, Analyst, about how commercial satcom services are currently procured and integrated, as well as the associated security, governance and co-ordination challenges for governments. They discuss why secure, zero-trust orchestration is becoming central to hybrid military satcom architectures, and how this aligns with alliance initiatives such as IRIS2 and the NATO Commercial Space Strategy. Learn more about Analysys Mason's Space research and insights.

In this episode, Tom Rebbeck, Partner and expert in telecoms services, and Jonathan Daniel, Analyst, discuss the latest trends across financial KPIs. They examine how revenue, EBITDA, capex and operating cashflow have evolved over the 12 months to 3Q 2025 and highlight the most notable shifts in operators’ financial performance. Read the related report: Operators’ financial KPIs: trends and analysis Visit Analysys Mason DataHub

Government funding plays a crucial role in the space industry; it supports both emerging and established companies. In this episode, Christopher Baugh, Partner at Analysys Mason, speaks with Dallas Kasaboski, Principal Analyst at Analysys Mason, and Craig Brown, Director of Investment at the UK Space Agency (UKSA). They discuss why government support is essential for the health of the space sector and how it is deployed, including grants, subsidies, contracts and other mechanisms. The conversation explores: current government support initiatives for the space industry in the UK and how they are deployed which organisations benefit most from government funding and why commercial markets still require support how government intervention supports start-ups as they scale and work towards sustainability the role of public funding in helping companies to raise private investment the outlook for space security and defence programmes in the current geopolitical climate how funding aligns with the various stages of t

Adaora Okeleke, Principal Analyst at Analysys Mason, speaks with Matt Anderson, Head of Cloud IT Telecom Solutions at Google Cloud, and Tunc Yorulmaz, Senior Managing Director and Global Lead for Cloud First Networks at Accenture. They share insights from Analysys Mason’s perspective, GenAI in the network: CSP progress in adopting GenAI for network operations. They discuss how telecoms operators are using generative AI (GenAI) for network operations. Topics include: early learnings from GenAI deployments in telecoms networks key challenges that operators face when applying AI to network operations and automation how agentic AI could support the future evolution towards autonomous networks. This episode offers clear, practical guidance for telecoms executives and network leaders that are looking to scale GenAI, cloud and automation in their networks and understand the emerging role of agentic AI in network transformation.

In this episode, Jenny Robertson, Managing Partner at Analysys Mason, spoke with Finnfund’s Kuutti Kilpeläinen, Head of Digital Infrastructure and Solutions Portfolio, and Niklas Simola, Investment Manager, Digital Infrastructure and Solutions, to discuss how investment in digital infrastructure can expand digital access and inclusion in emerging markets. They explore the challenge of closing coverage gaps and highlight why affordability is key to expanding digital access. They discuss how impact funds can drive meaningful change, supported by Finnfund’s real-world examples and experiences from recent investments that have made a difference for communities in developing countries. The conversation also looks to the future, and examines new investment opportunities and the transformative potential of satellite connectivity, AI and public–private partnerships to further accelerate digital inclusion.

In this episode, Grace Langham, Senior Analyst and expert in sustainability and ESG at Analysys Mason, speaks with Manuel Alomar, Re-think Lead at Liberty Blume, a Liberty Global company. They discuss how Liberty Blume's circularity business, Re-think, is helping customers to unlock value from unused assets while supporting more-sustainable network upgrades and expansion worldwide. The conversation highlights the growing importance of tech circularity as the telecoms industry works to reduce e-waste and manage technology more responsibly. Explore our related content:  How are operators promoting broadband circularity? Cost and complexity hinder the recycling of broadband equipment Waste and circularity benchmarks for telecoms operators    

Starlink has become the most disruptive force in the satellite industry, and the new service-level agreement (SLA) guarantees for its ‘Priority’ packages add to the disruption. In this episode, space and satellite experts Christopher Baugh and Lluc Palerm discuss how these developments are changing competition in high-value verticals such as backhaul, enterprise and maritime. They explore how traditional satellite connectivity providers can defend their positions, differentiate their services and continue to deliver value in an increasingly Starlink-dominated market. Learn about Starlink's broadband access plans and pricing tracker 2Q 2025.

In this episode, Adaora Okeleke, Principal Analyst and expert in AI and data management platforms, speaks with Laurent Laisney, Telecoms Industry Strategist at Teradata. Together, they explore how hybrid data cloud deployment models can help telecoms operators to modernise their data environments and scale AI adoption. They draw on insights from Analysys Mason’s Modernising CSPs' data architectures for network analytics/AI-driven automation to discuss: the factors slowing down operators’ adoption of AI how hybrid data cloud can address these challenges the key requirements operators should consider when deploying hybrid models. This discussion offers clear, actionable perspectives for decision makers on the role of hybrid data cloud in enabling AI adoption in the telecoms industry.

In this episode, Christian Fischer, Senior Principal, speaks with Christopher Hellmann, Chief Transformation Officer at Manage Now and Associate Director at private equity group Aequita. Together, they explore the transformation of Manage Now following its 2024 carve-out from Fujitsu Services. The discussion covers the strategy that reshaped the business, including redefining the go-to-market approach, streamlining operations and building a customer-centric medium-sized IT services company. Christopher shares candid insights into the challenges, breakthroughs and bold decisions that turned the carve-out into a high-impact value creation story. Hear what made this transformation a success and what lies ahead for Manage Now, with lessons for operators, investors and IT services leaders that are navigating carve-outs and strategic change.

In this episode, Catherine Hammond, Research Director, and Adaora Okeleke, Principal Analyst, explore how operators can generate new revenue by offering AI services to enterprise customers. They draw on recent research to discuss the most promising AI solutions, opportunities for differentiation and how telecoms operators can compete with hyperscalers and other technology providers. Access the related report: Enterprise AI services: 13 operator case studies and analysis Read the associated articles: Operators’ enterprise AI service portfolios extend far beyond AI infrastructure services Operators can generate substantial revenue from AI services even without big investments in infrastructure

In this episode, Tom Rebbeck, Partner, and Martin Scott, Research Director, draw on our latest research to explore telecoms operators’ revenue growth strategies. They discuss why connectivity is still central to most operators’ plans, their reduced focus on adjacent growth initiatives and what makes NTT and KT stand out from the competition. The conversation offers insights for telecoms executives, investors and regulators about the risks and opportunities shaping operator business models. Further reading related to this podcast:  Operators are relying on connectivity for growth, but this may not be enough Operator growth strategies: case studies and analysis (volume VII) Digi’s approach is one that other operators could learn from Iliad’s central telecoms strategy is similar to that of most operators, but the details have lessons for others MVNOs from challenger banks aim to disrupt telecoms market Community Fibre highlights the threat of the pureplay fibre model KDDI’s results demonstrate the challenges of

Adaora Okeleke, Principal Analyst and expert in AI and data management at Analysys Mason, speaks to Dave Duggal, Founder and CEO of EnterpriseWeb, to explore how agentic AI can help telecoms operators realise their ambitions for autonomous operations. Drawing on insights from Analysys Mason’s reports Understanding AI agents in the telecoms industry  and Addressing the challenge of AI agent interoperability, they discuss how operators can apply agentic AI and the concept of ‘ontology’ to achieve their autonomous operations objectives.  They discuss: operators’ objectives and vision for adopting agentic AI the current state of adoption and the challenges operators face in deploying agentic AI today practical steps to overcome these challenges and progress towards autonomous operations This discussion offers clear, actionable perspectives for decision makers seeking to understand the potential of agentic AI and how to apply it effectively to automate telecoms operations.  Learn more about the related reports:

In this episode, Joseph Attwood, Analyst, and Michelle Lam, Senior Analyst, discuss the need for telecoms operators to evolve their approach to network automation if they hope to achieve their autonomous networking goals. They explore the two pathways that operators can follow to overcome the limitations of NFV MANO. The first of these pathways is to implement cloud-native automation based on Kubernetes’s orchestration capabilities and GitOps methodologies. The second is for operators to adapt their network automation as ETSI evolves its NFV MANO architecture to the new Telco Cloud MANO architecture. Joseph and Michelle discuss the advantages and trade-offs of each pathway as well as which approach various operators are likely to adopt. Read the related strategy report and article.

As fixed broadband providers upgrade home broadband equipment or as consumers switch providers, a growing stream of electronic waste such as modems, routers and set-top boxes is produced. Managing this e-waste is both costly and complex, and operators often fall short in transparently reporting on the disposal of home broadband equipment. In this podcast episode, analysts Grace Langham and Donye Liu explore the progress and challenges operators face in building circularity into their home broadband hardware. They also highlight initiatives from operators that are working to responsibly recover, reuse and recycle obsolete equipment. Read the related article.