HCLTech Survey: 60% of Telecom Leaders See AI as Key Revenue Driver, But Only 25% Ready to Scale It

New York/Noida News (21 August 2026): Artificial intelligence is emerging as a major growth engine for the global telecom industry, but most telecom companies are still struggling to build the infrastructure, skills and operating models needed to deploy AI at scale, according to a new report by HCLTech in partnership with Mobile World Live.

The findings, released through the Telecom Pulse Survey Report, are based on responses from nearly 200 senior executives representing network operators, mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), communication service providers (CSPs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across global markets.

The survey highlights a significant gap between the industry’s ambition for AI-led growth and its current ability to execute. While 60% of telecom leaders believe AI will become a key driver of future revenues, only 25% say their organizations are currently prepared to operationalize AI at scale.

Legacy infrastructure remains a major hurdle

The report suggests that telecom companies need to move beyond traditional connectivity models and accelerate their transformation into AI-native technology companies, or TechCos. However, outdated infrastructure, slow cloud-native modernization and shortages of relevant digital skills continue to hold back this transition.

The findings indicate that simply investing in AI technologies may not be enough. Telecom companies will also need to modernize their underlying technology architecture, strengthen their talent base and redesign operating models to fully capitalize on AI-driven opportunities.

Traditional telecom revenues face growing pressure

The survey also points to increasing pressure on conventional telecom business models. Nearly 70% of respondents believe connectivity services are becoming increasingly commoditized, making it more difficult for traditional operators to generate differentiated growth through connectivity alone.

As a result, telecom leaders are looking toward digital services, software platforms and new technology-led offerings to create additional revenue streams.

However, the industry’s pace of innovation remains relatively slow. Nearly 80% of respondents said their organizations launched fewer than five new digital products or services during the past year. The findings point to persistent challenges in product development, engineering capabilities and reducing the time required to take new offerings to market.

Partnerships seen as key to accelerating AI adoption

Collaboration with technology partners is emerging as another important factor in the telecom industry’s AI transformation. Nearly half of the surveyed executives identified partnerships with hyperscalers, AI platform providers and software companies as essential for speeding up innovation and converting emerging technologies into new revenue opportunities. Such partnerships can help telecom companies gain access to advanced AI capabilities, cloud infrastructure, specialized expertise and technology ecosystems without having to develop every capability internally.

Despite the industry’s growing focus on AI and digital transformation, the report found that many companies continue to evaluate success primarily through cost reduction and operational efficiency. This suggests that telecom organizations have yet to fully shift their focus toward measuring AI through revenue growth, new product creation and customer-centric innovation.

HCLTech calls for faster transition to AI-native TechCos

Anil Ganjoo, Chief Growth Officer and Global Head of Telecom, Media and Technology at HCLTech, said the telecom sector is entering a critical phase as AI reshapes networks and business models.

He said connectivity by itself is no longer enough to support sustainable growth and that telecom companies need to evolve toward intelligent, platform-driven ecosystems. According to Ganjoo, HCLTech’s AI-intrinsic approach is aimed at helping telecom companies accelerate their transformation into TechCos, scale innovation and adopt AI-native and autonomous operations.

The survey ultimately underscores a clear challenge for the telecom sector: AI has emerged as a major revenue opportunity, but turning that ambition into large-scale business impact will depend on how quickly companies can modernize their infrastructure, develop the right skills, build strategic technology partnerships and move beyond cost-focused transformation.

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