Ericsson study finds 70% of telecom executives lack key 5G and AI rollouts

TL;DR

• Ericsson said a study based on interviews with 455 senior telecom executives found that about 70% had not started implementing technologies they consider essential for new revenue from AI and advanced 5G services.
• The top revenue priorities named in the study were private and enterprise 5G connectivity at 49%, personalized digital services at 44%, and wide-area IoT connectivity at 40%.
• The study also found that two thirds had not started AI-based network operations, 61% had not begun advanced 5G capabilities such as standalone architecture and network slicing, and 68% had not adopted SaaS-based IT platforms.

Ericsson said its new research found that mobile operators risk missing revenue opportunities in AI and advanced 5G because execution is lagging behind stated plans. The study was based on interviews with 455 senior executives in the telecom sector, and 90% said they were confident their organization could capture new revenue sources.

Ericsson said around 70% of respondents had not yet started applying the technologies they see as necessary to capture that revenue. The study found that private and enterprise 5G connectivity ranked first among growth priorities at 49%, followed by personalized digital services for consumers and enterprises at 44%, and wide-area Internet of Things, or IoT, connectivity at 40%.

Ericsson said deployment of the underlying technologies remains limited despite that consensus. Two thirds of executives had not started AI-based network operations; 61% had not taken steps to implement advanced 5G capabilities including standalone architecture and network slicing; and 68% had not adopted software-as-a-service, or SaaS, IT platforms. More than 80% said future growth depends on expanding services quickly and that ease of experimentation will be a key advantage.

Related questions

• What percentage of telecom executives in Ericsson's study had not started key 5G and AI implementations?
• Which revenue opportunities ranked highest in Ericsson's telecom executive survey?
• What advanced 5G capabilities did Ericsson identify as not yet widely implemented?