Mavenir CEO tells telcos to sell AI tokens, not rely on OpenAI

Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli said telcos should sell AI tokens and reduce reliance on OpenAI, according to a Light Reading report.

Light Reading reported that Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli urged telecom operators to reinvent themselves as AI companies. The report said Kohli wants telcos to move beyond connectivity and sell AI-related capacity in the form of tokens.

The article said Kohli argued operators should not rely on OpenAI for access to artificial intelligence services. Light Reading framed the comments in the context of US policy under President Donald Trump that cuts foreigners off from the most advanced American AI systems.

Mavenir is a telecom software supplier, and the comments reflect a strategy argument about how operators could position themselves in the AI market. The source excerpt did not provide pricing, launch dates, named operator partners, or product specifications for any AI token offer.