Operator Priorities for 2026 and Beyond: Data, Automation, Customer Experience
Key Takeaways
- 71% of telecom operators plan to deploy agentic AI in 2026 for proactive service management
- 38% still collect data in silos, hampering real-time decision-making and operational efficiency
- Data services generate 45% of customer complaints, far exceeding voice at just 12%
Why It Matters
The telecom industry is finally waking up to a harsh reality: customers don't care about your network engineering prowess if their Netflix keeps buffering during the season finale. This GSMA Intelligence survey reveals that operators are scrambling to transform from reactive firefighters into proactive customer whisperers, armed with AI that can predict problems before they ruin someone's day.
The shift toward agentic AI represents more than just technological evolution—it's a fundamental reimagining of how telecom companies operate. Instead of waiting for angry customers to call support, these AI systems will autonomously detect and resolve issues before users even notice them. Think of it as having a crystal ball that actually works, predicting network hiccups and fixing them faster than you can say "Have you tried turning it off and on again?"
What's particularly telling is that over half of operators admit they're not ready for future workloads, despite racing toward AI adoption. This readiness gap suggests the industry is caught between ambitious technological goals and practical implementation challenges. The winners will be those who can bridge this gap while maintaining the delicate balance between automation efficiency and human oversight—because nobody wants their network managed by an AI that learned customer service from a chatbot.
