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Telia sells TV business to Schibsted Media for €588m


Globally, operators are reviewing their presence in TV markets as growth slows – a new report suggests a pivot to mid-size B2B services could pay dividends

Telia Company has signalled it is shifting its focus on growth in its core connectivity business in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The operator has entered into an agreement to sell its TV & Media business, including the TV4 and MTV brands in Sweden and Finland respectively, to Schibsted Media at an enterprise value of SEK6.55 billion (€588 million) on a cash and debt-free basis. 

The trend to ditch content services is growing in some parts of the world as telcos realise the TV world is shifting to streaming which is dominated by a small number of players with fat wallets. As a result, telcos are exiting to focus on connectivity like Optus and Telstra in Australia. Optus was recently reported to be in talks to sell its sports streaming platform Optus Sport to media house Nine Entertainment. Meanwhile, Telstra just announced it was selling its stake in Australia’s largest streamer Foxtel to Dazn. 

In contrast, LG Uplus in Korea is pushing new K-content originals from its in-house studio while NTT Docomo even has a J-pop band. For Telia, it is a return to its roots. 

Connectivity is king

“Our priority is to focus on what Telia does best – providing world-class connectivity on which millions of people rely every day – and this agreement clearly reflects that. We have an opportunity to secure a new home for TV & Media with a strategic long-term Nordic owner that can further develop the business while maintaining its editorial independence,” said Telia’s President and CEO Patrik Hofbauer (above). 

“Thanks to a multi-year distribution partnership, we will continue offering TV4 and MTV’s content as part of the attractive line-up that has helped make Telia’s TV customers the most satisfied in Sweden for nine of the past 10 years,” he added. 

The transaction is anticipated to close in Q3 2025 at the latest, subject to customary regulatory approvals. The proceeds from the transaction will be used for deleveraging. Telia expects to report TV & Media as held for sale and discontinued operations in Q1 2025, and to recognise a non-cash impairment of around SEK2 billion.

Telia said its mid-term financial ambitions relating to 2025-2027 are unchanged. The operator’s previously communicated financial outlook for 2025 relating to free cash flow of around SEK8 billion is adjusted to around SEK7.5 billion, which will exclude the contribution from TV & Media.

Telia’s other financial outlook metrics for 2025, relating to service revenue growth, like for like, of around 2%, adjusted EBITDA growth, like for like, of at least 5%, and CAPEX excluding fees for licenses, spectrum and right of use assets below SEK 14 billion, are unchanged.

Core opportunities in mid-market?

A new report from BCG points to one area Telia and other telcos should be targeting, their so-called mid-market which comprises business customers that employ a few hundred people. Demand for cloud, cybersecurity and even AI is growing fast in this sector. Small-to-medium businesses have historically been a tough market for operators to crack and they’ve relied on channel sales and partners. Now this mid-market could provide telcos with a sweet-spot despite the crowded space which includes hyperscalers, systems integrators and VARs.

BCG estimates this market to be $150 billion in Europe in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9% between 2024 and 2028. Some 76% of mid-market companies in the US and Europe prefer to purchase IT services from their existing ICT providers, creating a “clear opportunity” for telcos to expand beyond connectivity into selling mid-market customers more advanced solutions.

BCG sees three roles for telcos: Connectivity Provider; Core ICT Services Provider; or Full Vertical-Solutions Provider. Each one presents distinct advantages and trade-offs, influencing future costs, capabilities, and market positioning.

A deeper dive into those roles

As a Connectivity Provider, telcos focus on delivering connectivity services while partnering with managed service providers (MSPs), system integrators (SIs), and value-added resellers (VARs) to handle complex solutions. BCG said this low-risk approach utilises existing infrastructure and suits markets where basic connectivity remains in demand or where there’s growing interest in IoT and smart infrastructure. However, as connectivity becomes commoditised, maintaining high margins (typically 30% to 50% EBITDA) may require significant cost-reduction efforts. 

Additionally, telcos risk being perceived as low-value commodity players, with partners owning customer relationships and providing high-value services, potentially limiting growth and profitability.

Alternatively, adopting the role of a Core ICT Services Provider allows telcos to offer standardised solutions in areas like network management, cybersecurity, and cloud support, capturing more value across the tech stack without substantial investments. This strategy aligns with mid-market businesses’ demand for cost-effective, scalable solutions and balances risk and reward by enabling growth through cost management and expanded offerings.

BCG said success in this role requires enhancing sales teams’ capabilities, developing standardised solutions, and improving cost efficiency through automation and process simplification. While competitive pressures exist, BCG reckons operational efficiencies can help sustain margins, though profitability may be modest compared to strategies involving more value-added services.

The path to 6G | White paper by RADCOM

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This white paper looks at why we need 6G, its expected attributes and ongoing standardisation efforts. It pays particular attention to resilience – for the first time, telecoms are classed as being highly at risk and existing definitions of and approaches to resilience aren’t fit for purpose.

Resilience needs to be rooted in real-time adaptation and recovery. The paper looks at how we achieve this with technological building blocks we have already, including a solid data strategy that makes good quality data accessible, as required. Done well, this new approach to resilience will allow operators to differentiate their services and run a sustainable business in every sense.

5G Advanced – will 5G’s second wave deliver value? | Research Report by Mobile Europe

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This report explores some of the steps operators are taking as they seek to monetise 5G networks, using the ‘next wave’ – 5G Advanced. This includes activities by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, SFR France, Singtel, T-Mobile and Verizon for differentiated connectivity and network slicing – and views on the market for such services.

The report examines the API business model, intent-based networks, automation and platform-based approaches. It also looks at the relationship between 5G SA and 5G Advanced, and the progress of 5G SA deployment, as we move towards the era of 6G, whose standards are work in progress right now. The next two years are critical to the commercial success of 5G.

Ericsson refreshes exec team, consolidates global operating structure

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Europe aligned with Middle East and Africa; Americas become single market area

Ericsson announced changes to its executive team and to its global operating structure. The vendor has decided to consolidate its regional structure, organising the market areas “in a more efficient way”.

The company also announces that Per Narvinger, who has headed Cloud Software and Services since 2022, has been appointed Executive Vice President and to head up Ericsson’s Business Area Networks. Narvinger has been with Ericsson since 1997 in various global roles, joining the Executive Team in 2022.

Jenny Lindqvist, who runs Ericsson’s Europe and Latin America business, will replace Narvinger as Head of Cloud Software and Services. Lindqvist has held several leadership positions at Ericsson, joining the firm in 2010 and the Executive Team in 2023.

Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson (pictured), comments, “I’m pleased to appoint Per and Jenny to head up our Networks and Cloud Software and Services businesses. They are strong leaders in Ericsson, each having made an impact on the organisation since joining my Executive Team.”

Consolidated markets

Ericsson has created two market areas as part of its new operating structure. Ekholm explains, “We are constantly looking for ways to improve customer experience and efficiencies. By combining three Market Areas into two, we see opportunities for efficiencies while maintaining the customer focus.”

Three areas that are affected: Europe & Latin America; North America and the Middle East & Africa. The two new market areas will be Americas headed by Yossi Cohen and Europe, Middle East & Africa headed by Patrick Johansson.

Head of networks no more

Fredrik Jejdling, Ericsson’s long-serving head of Networks, will step down from his role on 15 March, remaining as an executive advisor to the business until 30 June. He has been with Ericsson since 2006 and a member of the company’s executive team since 2017. 

Ekholm says, “Fredrik has been a valued member of the Executive Team for almost 8 years and has led the success of our Networks business and thereby contributed to the turn-around of Ericsson in 2017…We have now mutually agreed and come to the conclusion that this is a good time for a change in the Executive Team. As a result, Fredrik will leave Ericsson to take on new challenges.

MWC: DT partners Google Cloud for better RANops using a network AI agent

In addition to Gemini 2.0 in Vertex AI, the RAN Guardian uses CloudRun, BigQuery, and Firestore for autonomous monitoring and proactive network optimisation

Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Google Cloud announce a new partnership to improve RAN operations by developing a network AI agent. The agent, built using Gemini 2.0 in Vertex AI from Google Cloud, can analyse network behaviour, detect performance issues and take corrective actions to improve network reliability, reduce operational costs and enhance customer experiences, according to the press statement.

Agentic AI leverages large language models (LLMs) and advanced reasoning frameworks to create intelligent agents that can “think, reason, act and learn independently”. The RAN Guardian agent has been tested and verified at DT. Apparently it collaborates “in a human-like manner”, detecting network anomalies and self-healing to optimise the RAN’s performance.

Pioneering AI agents for networks

“Traditional network management approaches are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of 5G and beyond. We are pioneering AI agents for networks, working with key partners like Google Cloud to unlock a new level of intelligence and automation in RAN operations as a step towards autonomous, self-healing networks” said Abdu Mudesir, Group CTO at DT.

In addition to Gemini 2.0 in Vertex AI, the RAN Guardian also uses CloudRun, BigQuery, and Firestore to help deliver:

• Autonomous RAN performance monitoring – the RAN Guardian will continuously analyse key network parameters, in real time, to predict and detect anomalies; and

• Proactive network optimisation, such as making recommendations or autonomously implementing corrective actions, including resource reallocation and configuration adjustments.

“By combining Deutsche Telekom’s deep telecom expertise with Google Cloud’s cutting-edge AI capabilities, we’re building the next generation of intelligent networks,” said Angelo Libertucci, Global Industry Lead, Telecommunications, Google Cloud. “This means fewer disruptions, faster speeds, and an overall enhanced mobile experience for Deutsche Telekom’s customers.”

DT and Google Cloud at MWC

Abdu Mudesir and Google Cloud’s Muninder Sambi will present at Deutsche Telekom Booth #3M31 in Hall 3, on March 3, from 13:30-14:00, on how agents are shaping the future of network operations. In addition, Deutsche Telekom is also presenting a RAN Guardian Agent showcase in its booth.

Vodafone claims UK breakthrough with network slicing

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The tech was used to give rugby fans a glimpse of the future of sports broadcasting at the Wales-Ireland match, part of the Mens Six Nations tournament

Vodafone says it completed a trial to show multiple 5G Standalone (SA) network slices in action for different use cases at a live event – the men’s rugby union international between Wales and Ireland last Saturday. It took place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff’s city centre in Wales, in front of a crowd of 73,623 rugby fans (shown above).

First slice’s use case

The former Wales and Cardiff Rugby player Ellis Jenkins hosted a social media watch-along live from the match, enabled by network slicing on Vodafone’s 5G Standalone (5G SA) network. Jenkins was not short of material. As he said, “What an epic match, the Welsh boys have restored some pride with their performance this weekend and kept going right up until the final moments. 

The dedicated network slice was created in partnership with Ericsson. It provided connectivity to rugby fans in Vodafone’s Hospitality area at Principality Stadium where Jenkins was seated. Vodafone customers, including Jenkins, were able to stream the match live, browse the internet and social media, and share images with friends and family, without interruption.

The equivalent of 480 hours of HD video was transferred over the Vodafone network during a Wales versus Scotland match on 3 February 2024, which would be enough to rewatch the match over 360 times. For context, this figure was 40% higher than that recorded during the Wales–South Africa match in August 2023 at the multi-facility venue. 

Second slice for images

The second slice of connectivity was reserved for the Welsh Rugby Union’s official in-house photography agency – Huw Evans Picture Agency to ensure uploading images was not hampered by slow internet speeds caused by too many people and devices competing for signal in the packed stadium.

The media upload slice was created to provide a minimum upload throughput, isolating the traffic from network congestion and guaranteeing uninterrupted connectivity. The increased speed and reliability of delivery allowed the photographer to upload even large unedited image files within 30 seconds, using the stadium’s multi-operator indoor radio system. 

Nick Gliddon, Business Director, Vodafone UK, commented, “Network slicing allows us to work with our customers and adapt the network to suit their needs. This is a huge advantage of 5G Standalone – customers can define their own experience with a network which is built for them. As a result, businesses can expect to improve the efficiency of operations, help drive productivity gains and introduce new services to their customers that would not be possible otherwise.”

GSMA launches benchmarks to assess LLMs’ usefulness in telco

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The new community provides an open-source framework to assess large language models for capability, energy efficiency and safety

The GSMA Foundry has launched GSMA Open-Telco LLM Benchmarks, an open-source community aimed at improving the performance of large language models (LLMs) for telecom-specific applications. The community provides “an industry-first framework for evaluating AI models in real-world telecom use cases,” according to the GSMA. It is supported by Hugging FaceKhalifa UniversityThe Linux Foundation and mobile network operators and vendors. 

The GSMA says LLMs are found to have shortcomings regarding technical telecom knowledge, regulatory compliance and network troubleshooting. In recent tests, GPT4 scored less than 75% on TeleQnA (see more here and here), a dataset tailored to assess the knowledge of LLMs in the field of telecoms, and less than 40% on 3GPPTdocs Classification, a dataset based on 3GPP standards documentation.

Microsoft’s Phi2, a much smaller model, scored only 10% on MATH500 (see here and here, a benchmark of 500 general maths questions.  

Current limitations

These results highlight the current limitations of AI models in addressing telecom-specific queries. The GSMA says its innovation hub’s Open-Telco LLM Benchmarks will address these gaps “by providing transparent, open evaluations of AI models across capabilities, energy efficiency and safety”. 

“Today’s AI models struggle with telecom-specific queries, often producing inaccurate, misleading or impractical recommendations,” said Louis Powell, Head of AI Initiatives, GSMA. “By creating an industry-wide set of benchmarks, we’re not only improving model performance but also ensuring AI in telecoms is safe, reliable and aligned with real-world operational needs.” 

The mobile network operators supporting the launch of GSMA Open-Telco LLM Benchmarks include Deutsche Telekom, LG Uplus, SK Telecom, Turkcell and Huawei. 

Submitting cases

Mobile network operators, AI researchers and developers can submit use cases, datasets and models for evaluation. A standardised benchmarking framework is intended to ensure that all AI models are evaluated against real-world challenges in areas such as telecoms domain knowledge, mathematical reasoning, energy consumption and safety. The resulting benchmarks will be hosted on Hugging Face to ensure transparency and encourage community engagement.  

Mobile network operators, vendors, startups and researchers are now encouraged to contribute, by submitting interest and LLM telcos use cases, to aiusecase@gsma.com. More information is available here.

The launch follows last year’s industry-wide commitment to exploring telco AI use cases ethically and sustainably, central to which was the GSMA’s Responsible AI Maturity Roadmap, to help mobile operators apply best practices from inception through evolution.   

AI at MWC25 Barcelona 

The Gen AI Summit: Experimentation to Transformation at MWC25 Barcelona will have sessions that explore practical applications and the transformative potential of GenAI within telecoms. They will include discussions about optimising AI-driven networks, personalising customers’ experiences and integrating GenAI in 5G and beyond.

CSG, Infovista deliver real-time insights to telcos


We talk to Infovista’s Thibaut Becherel about how the two product lines will be integrated to deliver the seamless experience operators want

Infovista and CSG have formed a strategic partnership to deliver integrated OSS and BSS solutions for communication service providers (CSPs). This combines Infovista’s Ativa automated assurance suite with CSG’s Converged Mediation & Activation platform. One key question for operators is how compatible these two product lines are, so we took a look.

The companies said the integration of CSG’s BSS capabilities with Infovista’s Ativa, its automated assurance suite, enables CSPs to unify policy management, charging and customer data with network management and operations data. They claim the combination unlocks “powerful use cases”. 

Integration of platforms

The integration of these platforms allows CSPs to harness real-time insights from both network operations and customer data. It means operators can deliver dynamic, quality-based promotions and location-specific service updates tailored to individual customer profiles. It also means executing slice-specific monetisation for IoT devices and event-based API charging for enterprise applications.

To understand the combined capability it is worth a brief explanation of what each vendor brings to the table. Infovista’s Ativa suite is cloud-native, automated assurance solution that provides advanced analytics for network and service management. Ativa focuses on real-time monitoring, SLA management, and automation of processes like root cause analysis and incident management. CSG’s Converged Mediation & Activation Platform is a BSS solution that unifies policy management, charging and customer data. 

“Telecommunications providers face increasing demands to innovate faster while controlling costs and maintaining service quality,” said Infovista’s VP Partnerships and Alliances, Thibaut Becherel. “Our partnership with CSG delivers an integrated OSS/BSS framework that not only modernises legacy systems but also enables cutting-edge business use cases, from 5G monetisation to real-time customer engagement.”

“Our collaboration with Infovista exemplifies CSG’s mission to empower CSPs with robust solutions for scalable growth in the future,” said CSG VP network solutions Mayoor Mahendra. “Combining our CSG Converged Mediation & Activation platform with Infovista’s Ativa gives CSPs the tools they need to accelerate their digital transformation and confidently deliver customer experiences that set them apart.”

Seamless data flow

Becherel told Mobile Europe the platforms can be architecturally integrated to ensure seamless data flow and interoperability. “Ativa and CSG Converged Mediation & Activation (CMA) are integrated at acquisition layer via file based interfaces and at fulfilment layer via open APIs. Data to be mediated and/or activated will be based on customer specific use cases,” he said. 

“The network management data based and analysis of service/network experiences is continuously being done via Ativa stack, which generates real time triggers at right events to the CSG system,” he said. “The CSG solution which has data from BSS systems (BI, OCS , subscriber profile, etc.) and usage data from the network (policy, quota consumption, etc.) executes real-time business logic and rules when such events occur using key data.”

He added: “This ensures that subscribers get the right notifications/promotions or corrective action on network is taken in real time – giving customers the feeling that their operator is responsive to their needs and their network/service experience.”

Becherel emphasised the integrated solution will scale to support large-scale deployments. “Both solutions are cloud native which enables scalability with a distributed and containerised architecture,” he said. “The solution’s mediation and activation capabilities are field proven over 3 decades in the most demanding networks across the globe (in TIER 1 CSP and group operators’ deployments), handling tens of billions of pieces of usage data, and executing over 20 million+ activation requests per day on a single deployment.”

He said the solution offers a range of customisation options and can be tailored to fit the customers’ requirements. “The solution already supports multiple technologies (2G-5G), domains (mobile wireless, fixed networks etc.), and with an open architecture enables support for future technologies as well,” he said. 

In terms of protecting customer and network data, Becherel said the combined system will have the requisite security measures in place from the outset. “Ativa complies with local data security laws, and the information security regulations as stipulated by the GDPR, for example, obfuscation of sensitive customer information,” he said. “As the solution handles data at scale, various sophisticated mechanisms are in place towards protecting sensitive data in line with industry standards and local regulations.” 

“The system performs data normalisation as required by various standards, does encryption prior to transmission to the destination ensuring the security of the data and compliances to regulations,” he added. 

Proximus signs up AWS to expand cloudification and exploit AI

Proximus Group selects AWS as a strategic provider, adding to its partnerships with Google Cloud and Microsoft

Proximus Group has selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) “to provide global cloud infrastructure to modernize and unify its business”. Under the multi-year deal, Proximus Group will use AWS’ portfolio of services, including GenAI solutions, to support “a data-driven expansion of its products as the company aims to become a global leader in digital communications, digital identity and connectivity”.

As part of its modernisation, the Group says it will unify data ecosystems across Proximus Global’s core Connect, Engage and Protect products and services portfolio to support its builder community. The thinking is this will provide better accessibility to data and analytics while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Also, it will streamline its digital identity, update it Communication Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) using AI and ML to improve scalability and cost-efficiency.

Shifting to a hybrid cloud-based to cloudify its network is intended to improve support for its builder community and reduce costs, optimise efficiency and enable global expansion.

To further these goals, Proximus is also boosting employees’ cloud expertise through training and certification programmes.

The bedrock

Proximus will use Amazon Bedrock, a managed service that offers foundation models from AI companies like AI21 Labs, Anthropic, Cohere, Luma AI, Meta, Mistral AI, poolside (coming soon), Stability AI and Amazon. All of them are available through a single API and will allow Proximus to experiment with “the latest foundation models” and the features needed to GenAI applications.

Proximus has already built a product using Amazon Bedrock – its customer-facing chatbot, Roubot.

Proximus also recently joined the AWS ISV Accelerate Programme and will expand its Software-as-a-Service offerings through AWS Partner Network and AWS Marketplace, creating new revenue streams and market opportunities.

Multi-cloud strategy

In 2023, Proximus signed up Google Cloud in a five-year contract to deliver sovereign cloud services in Belgium and Luxembourg.

This was followed in summer 2024 by a five-year partnership with Microsoft to accelerate offerings to business and residential customers in Belgium and abroad. Microsoft’s products are intended to bolster Proximus’ international affiliates BICS, Telesign and Route Mobile, while Proximus will use Microsoft’s Azure Cloud to evolve its AI & data activities.

AI is speeding and expanding service providers’ shift to cloud native

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IDC survey finds only 50% of service providers’ internal data is accessible to their AI models and analytics

65% of respondents to survey by IDC said AI has speeded up their move to cloud-first data architecture while 50% say they can only

Amdocs has released the findings of a global study it commissioned, conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC). The IDC report, AI Demands More: Enterprises Are Playing Catch-Up on Mission-Critical Data Modernization, highlights how “robust data modernization” is required to leverage the power of “hybrid” AI – that is GenAI and agentic AI.

IDC surveyed and interviewed of 151 execs within telecoms service providers across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The study will be published in full in March.

No good in isolation

The research found that respondents realise they cannot deploy GenAI in isolation and 78% of them said GenAI will need new investment in automated data cleaning and quality checks over the next two years.

“Effective AI solutions are built on trustworthy data, but our research shows that 50% of organizations still struggle to fully access the value of existing data resources and to ensure consistent data quality,” said Mary Johnston Turner, IDC Research Vice President for Digital Infrastructure Strategies. 

“The emergence of powerful agentic AI technologies to orchestrate workflows and autonomous decision-making across multiple AI models will require most organizations to invest in data modernization to ensure the levels of end-to-end data health, security and accessibility needed to deliver reliable AI results.”

Key findings include:

  • Some 65% of respondents have accelerated their shift to a cloud-first data architecture due to GenAI and increase investments in cloud computing, storage and GPU capacity to meet processing demands.
  • As cloud modernisation shifts toward AI-centric architectures, service providers must balance scalability, security and cost control while strategically navigating data governance challenges and the high costs of AI infrastructure.
  • Some 76% of service providers expect that service-as-a-software enabled by agentic AI will drive major or meaningful transformation across their organisation’s business model in coming years.
  • Some 73% of respondents expect agentic AI to require more investment in modernising data as it reshapes business operations, enabling automated decision-making, dynamic forecasting and adaptive customer interactions across multiple departments. They range from sales and marketing to operations and cybersecurity.
  • Unlike traditional AI models which function in silos, organisations are modernising their data infrastructure to support agentic AI-driven interoperability, using cloud-based platforms in pursuit of “seamless collaboration across use cases”.
  • The “typical service provider” estimates that only 50% of internal data is accessible to its AI models and analytics.

“Enterprises increasingly recognize the importance of combining multiple AI capabilities – ranging from NLP to ML,  predictive AI to generative AI – in order to achieve scalable, accurate and valuable and dynamic business outcomes,” said Anthony Goonetilleke, Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy at Amdocs.

“However, reaching the full promise of GenAI means addressing data standardization, modernization and governance while embracing scalable cloud infrastructure. Companies that prioritize developing a solid data foundation today will be best positioned to drive GenAI’s long-term business impact.”

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