Research Report
Reinventing B2B for the AI economy
Why telcos are uniquely positioned to power the next wave of enterprise transformation beyond connectivity with the right portfolios, partners and platforms.
5-MINUTE READ
June 2, 2025
In brief
- 73% of enterprises rank telcos in top three providers of choice for integrated B2B solutions and over a third name them as top choice.
- For AI-driven operations, enterprises require telcos' strong networks, secure, and programmable infrastructure.
- Over 70% of enterprises prefer telco partnerships for local and connected AI data centers.
- Accenture Research surveyed 1,200+ leaders to map a path for successful B2B reinvention.
Meeting AI-first enterprise demands
With generative AI redefining how businesses work and deliver value, there's growing demand for trusted, high-performance infrastructure. For telcos, this is more than a chance to catch up—it’s a moment to lead.
71%
of enterprises consider telcos the best partners for deploy & management of advanced connectivity platform services
81%
of enterprises see telcos as the preferred partner for sovereign AI adoption
70%
of enterprises prefer to partner with telcos for local and connected AI data centers
Today, there’s a new opportunity for telcos as enterprises demand a range of advanced solutions that help them exploit the emerging AI economy. Accenture’s Digital Core research shows that 83% of enterprises are using gen AI to speed up reinvention efforts across every facet of their business. Enterprise leaders tell us that telcos are their preferred partners in the AI era, thanks to their strengths in data proximity and security, and network infrastructure.
Despite the openness of enterprises to look to telcos for these advanced digital and AI-related solutions, many telcos are falling short on delivery. Nearly half of enterprises are dissatisfied with the connectivity and digital/IT solutions telcos deploy. Disappointment with connectivity solutions stems from unmet expectations around self-service network delivery, standard APIs for network configuration and TCO improvements. With digital/IT solutions, enterprises report shortcomings in deployment and operationalization.
Though telcos have much to gain in the rush to AI, they must first fundamentally reinvent their products, business models, and operations.
Winning the enterprise segment
Capitalizing on strengths to succeed
Offer advanced connectivity for the AI-powered enterprise
AI-powered enterprises need more than traditional connectivity. Telcos are training hyperscalers.
As enterprises embed AI across their operations, they require ultra-low latency, high-bandwidth networks with real-time data processing, seamless IoT-cloud-edge interoperability, and secure, programmable infrastructure. Telcos may rank as top partners for traditional connectivity services, but with NaaS, SASE and network APIs, many fall short. Telcos must elevate connectivity into a platform model—modernizing product portfolios, enabling API-driven network programmability, and revamping their go-to-market approach to deliver business outcomes, not just bandwidth.
Take the lead in Sovereign AI
With deep local infrastructure, regulated operations, and national reach, telcos are uniquely positioned to meet sovereignty requirements.
The majority of enterprises see telcos as their preferred partner for sovereign AI in their country/region. This, coupled with the fact that about 50% enterprises are dissatisfied with their current B2B solution providers’ ability to meet national data privacy and compliance requirements, creates a clear opportunity for telcos to step in. With established assets—such as local data centers, secure networks, edge infrastructure, and a trusted local workforce—telcos are well positioned to bridge this gap and become strategic partners in national AI initiatives for both enterprises and governments.
Power enterprise, from connectivity to intelligence
Telcos are gaining ground as strategic enablers of enterprise AI more broadly.
Attracted by their ability to offer GPU/TPU clusters, on-demand usage, container support, and high-performance storage—enterprises prefer telcos to deliver AI data centers – either through owned infrastructure or cloud partnerships. Enterprises are similarly open to AI-powered solutions from telcos. These include automated, intelligent networks enabled by AI-driven SD-WAN, QoS optimization, predictive NOC management, and smart unified communications like real-time translation.
Unify the B2B experience
With the right infrastructure, trust, and reach, telcos are poised to lead as unified B2B partners—ranked top 3 by 73% of companies seeking integrated solutions.
End-to-end infrastructure ownership (core to edge), multi-cloud readiness, robust security and compliance capabilities, and long-standing enterprise relationships position telcos as natural orchestrators of a unified B2B experience.
As AI and digital transformation accelerate, enterprises are shifting from fragmented vendor ecosystems toward integrated solution providers—with 73% placing telcos among their top three choices for delivering these unified B2B solutions.
Understanding enterprise customer needs
Addressing the obstacles to success
Reposition as platform orchestrators to lead AI enterprise transformation
- Build a connected infrastructure platform: To serve AI-led enterprises, telcos must create an integrated connectivity-cloud-edge-AI continuum—transforming from connectivity providers into full-stack infrastructure platforms.
- Elevate to a next-gen business model: Modern enterprise buyers demand outcome-based, partner-driven solutions. To deliver, telcos must revamp their go-to-market strategy, balancing direct sales with ecosystem engagement.
- Redesign the operating and talent model: To support a transformed portfolio and GTM model, telcos must realign their organizational architecture, technology stack, and talent strategy.
Relevance requires reinvention
The emergence of the AI-first enterprise represents a once-in-a-decade opportunity for telcos to redefine their role —from bandwidth providers to strategic enablers of intelligent infrastructure. But capitalizing on this shift will require far more than incremental change. It calls for a bold reimagining of what telcos offer, how they sell, and how they operate. Those that take decisive action—reinventing their product, business, and operating models to deliver AI-powered, outcome-driven value—can reclaim relevance and unlock new, sustainable growth. The telcos that move first—and with conviction—will not only lead this new era but help define it.
