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You are here: Home » Future Broadband & NGNs

Future Broadband & NGNs

What are the new broadband business models and strategies for Next Generation Networks (NGNs) and how can they help deliver improved business performance? Please see below for current content, and for future content please see here.

New Content (Use "Search" or "more articles" to find more)

Disruptive Strategy: 'Uncarrier' T-Mobile vs. AT&T, VZW, and Free.fr


T-Mobile USA’s ‘uncarrier’ strategy has delivered significant net additions, but is it a good strategy - and is the disruption promised by Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son already underway? We compare it to Free Mobile’s disruptive approach in France, and the results of its competitors’ responses. (June 2014)

Triple-Play in the USA: Infrastructure Pays Off


Verizon and Comcast have invested in high bandwidth fibre and cable networks, whereas AT&T has until recently focused on U-Verse, an IPTV play. Which strategy is winning out and why? The answer is surprising and may transform the US and other markets, and there are parallels with Apple and Samsung’s ‘deep value’ strategies of investing in assets that are hard to replicate. (May 2014)

Customer Experience: Is it Time for the Mobile CDN?

Changing consumer behaviours and the transition to 4G are likely to bring about a fresh surge of video traffic on many networks. Fortunately, mobile content delivery networks (CDNs), which should deliver both better customer experience and lower costs, are now potentially an option for carriers using a combination of technical advances and new strategic approaches to network design. This briefing examines why, how, and what operators should do, and includes lessons from Akamai, Level 3, Amazon, and Google. (May 2013).

CDN Traffic as Percentage of Backbone May 2013

The Great Compression: surviving the 'Digital Hunger Gap'

In the next 10 years, many industries face the 'Great Compression' in which, in addition to the pressures of ongoing global economic uncertainty, there is also a major digital transformation that is destroying traditional value and moving it 'disruptively' to new areas and geographies. For the incumbent industry players we call the near-term results of this disruption 'The Digital Hunger Gap' – the widening deficit between past and projected revenues. This is our analysis of the top-level findings of the Silicon Valley Executive Brainstorm. (March 2013)

10 Year Hunger Gap Mar 2013

Sprint-Softbank: how it will disrupt the US market


The Japanese and French markets have both been disrupted through the entry of low-cost competitors offering substantial price reductions. We think that Softbank’s acquisition of Sprint is a signal that the same is to soon come in the US given Softbank’s experience as a successful disruptor in Japan. (January 2013).

A Practical Guide to Implementing Telco 2.0

How can communications services providers (CSPs) transform their businesses from Telco 1.0 (infrastructure-led stasis) to Telco 2.0 (sustainable innovation-led growth)? An essential, step-by-step guide to the implementation of new Telco 2.0 business models, providing telecoms executives and their partner companies with a systematic approach to capitalise on new opportunities and neutralise potential threats. The report outlines robust frameworks and methodologies for selecting the right Telco 2.0 strategy for each organization, identifying and implementing the key opportunities, and avoiding expensive and time-consuming mistakes.

Europe's brutal future: Vodafone and Telefonica hit hard


In our recent briefing European Mobile: The Future's Not Bright, It's Brutal, we predicted that European operators faced a grim future. New figures from Vodafone and Telefonica suggest that, unfortunately, the grim future is arriving fast. (November 2012)

European Mobile: The Future's not Bright, it's Brutal


New analysis by the Telco 2.0 team shows that the mobile industry’s combined revenues from voice, messaging and data services in the EU5 economies (UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy) will drop by nearly 20Bn Euros, or 4% per year, in the next five years, and by 30Bn Euros by 2020. (October 2012)

LTE: APAC and US ‘Leading The Experience’


LTE is gaining traction in Asia Pacific and the US, despite challenges with spectrum, voice, and handsets. In South Korea, for example, penetration is expected to exceed 50% within 18 months. Our report on the lessons learned at the 2012 NGMN conference. (July 2012)

Euro telcos: fiddling while the platform burns?


Most executives across the European telecoms industry accept that the current telco business model is in decline (the ‘burning platform’), but wholehearted action to create sustainable new models is not in place. We identify the key barriers and next steps to overcome them in this top-level analysis of findings from our recent EMEA Executive Brainstorm. (July 2012)

Mobile Broadband 2.0: The Top Disruptive Innovations


Key trends, tactics, and technologies for mobile broadband networks and services that will influence mid-term revenue opportunities, cost structures and competitive threats. Includes consideration of LTE, network sharing, WiFi, next-gen IP (EPC), small cells, CDNs, policy control, business model enablers and more. (March 2012)

The value of "Smart Pipes" to mobile network operators

Regardless of business strategy, the development of 'Smart Pipes' - more intelligent networks - will be a key driver of shareholder returns from operators. Smarter networks will also benefit network users – upstream service providers and end users, and operators, and their vendors and partners, will need to compete to be the smartest. What are they, why are they needed, and what are the key strategies employed to develop them? (February 2012, Foundation 2.0)

Facebook user saturation bubble chart

Dealing with the 'Disruptors': Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft/Skype and Amazon (Updated Extract)

An updated extract from our 284 page, 124 chart, strategy report that analyses the business models, markets, objectives, strategies and modus operandi of the major adjacent players, and their current and future impact on the telecoms industry. The report identifies the areas and options for competition and co-operation, and outlines potential strategies for interacting with each player. It also draws the combined activities of the digital empires - telcos, so called 'OTT players' and others - into the context of the new 'Great Game', the battle for power and value in the emerging digital economy. (Page updated February 2012, report published November 2011.)

Google Apple Facebook Microsoft Skype Amazon Telco 2.0 Disruptor Report Cover

'Under-The-Floor' (UTF) Players: threat or opportunity?

The telecoms industry often puts so-called OTT (over-the-top) players like Google and Facebook at the forefront of its concerns, as they pose new competition for services and applications. But what about encroachment of companies “underneath” the telcos, displacing them from their core asset, the network? Telco 2.0 examines the strategic threats and opportunities from wholesale providers, outsourcers and government-run broadband networks. (January 2012)

UTF Image Jan 2012

LTE: Less Transforming than Expected


An analysis of the status of LTE, the next generation of wireless network technology, including a round-up of early operator trials, and views on prospects for key vendors by Telco 2.0 partners Arete Research. (December 2011)

CDN 2.0: Introduction to CDNs/ADNs (STL Presentation)


In CDN 2.0: Content and Application Delivery Networks, New Mobile and Federated CDN/ADN Opportunities. Introduction by Dean Bubley, Senior Associate, STL Partners, introducing CDNs/ADNs and key questions. Presented at EMEA Brainstorm, November 2011.

Mobile CDNs 2.0: Opportunities and Challenges (STL Presentation)


In CDN 2.0: Content and Application Delivery Networks, New Mobile and Federated CDN/ADN Opportunities. Presentation by Dean Bubley, Senior Associate, STL Partners, on key opportunities and challenges for Mobile CDNs. Presented at EMEA Brainstorm, November 2011.

CDNs 2.0: should telcos compete with Akamai?


Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) such as Akamai’s are used to improve the quality and reduce costs of delivering digital content at volume. What role should telcos now play in CDNs? (September 2011)

Broadband 2.0: Mobile CDNs and video distribution


Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are becoming familiar in the fixed broadband world as a means to improve the experience and reduce the costs of delivering bulky data like online video to end-users. Is there now a compelling need for their mobile equivalents, and if so, should operators partner with existing players or build / buy their own? (August 2011)

Mobile Broadband Economics: LTE 'Not Enough'

Innovation appears to be flourishing in mobile broadband. At the Telco 2.0 EMEA Executive Brainstorm earlier this month we saw working applications that enable a.) users to monitor and control their network usage and services and b.) operators to support 'dynamic pricing'. Despite growing enthusiasm for LTE, delegates considered offloading traffic and network sharing strategies as at least as effective in managing costs. (May 2011)

LTE & Wholesale: Time to Get Aggressive?

We examine four examples of the growing trend of wholesale-oriented LTE operations, their key challenges and opportunities, and recommend that incumbent operators should be more aggressive in wholesale. (May 2010)

New Business Models: Half Future Telco Growth

Senior industry executives in Palo Alto at the 12th Telco 2.0 Executive Brainstorm agreed that half of the telco growth available in the next 3 years would come from the new business model opportunities identified in the ‘Roadmap to new Telco 2.0 Business Models’ report. The other half would come from improvements to the current business model. Headline findings in brief. (April 2011)

Public Wifi: Destroying LTE/Mobile Value?


By building or acquiring Public WiFi networks for tens of $Ms, highly innovative fixed players in the UK are stealthily removing $Bns of value from 3G and 4G mobile spectrum as smartphone and other data devices become increasingly carrier agnostic. What are the lessons globally? (April 2011)

Mobile World Congress: Microsoft CEO fails to land all punches, but...

Microsoft's pugilistic CEO Steve Ballmer came out fighting at the 2011 GSMA Mobile World Congress, but failed to register a convincing win. Is this the start of the old software champ's great comeback in mobile, or is the only way down? Our hunch may surprise you. (February, 2011)

Telcos vs. Internet Players: Act before it’s too late

There's less than 3 years for telcos to take advantage of key strategic ‘control points’ in their battle for sustainable growth in the communications and e-commerce markets, concluded delegates at the Telco 2.0 EMEA Brainstorm in November. How should they think differently about their value and where do they need to (re)focus their attention? Full report from the Brainstorm. (Executive Briefing, December 2010)

$Multi-Billion Telco 2.0 Growth Opportunities in North America: Can Telcos Act in Time?

An initial summary of the key out-takes from the 10th Telco 2.0 Americas Executive Brainstorm (incorporating Digital Entertainment 2.0) held in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, October 28-29, 2010. 92% of participants agreed it is time to make either a step change in key functions (34%) or initiate a fundamental transformation (58%) in the next 12-18 months. (November 2010)

Net Neutrality 2.0: Don't Block the Pipe, Lubricate the Market: ‘Net Neutrality’ has gathered increasing momentum as a market issue, with AT&T, Verizon, major European telcos and Google and others all making their points in advance of the Ofcom, EC, and FCC consultation processes. This is Telco 2.0’s input, analysis and recommendations. (Sept 2010, Foundation 2.0)

New Strategy Report: Telco 2.0 Case Directory - 5 'Use Cases', 10 Case Studies: A new 255 page report describing 5 new 'Use Cases', detailed descriptions / mini business cases for new, near term Telco 2.0 applications. The report also details 10 Case Studies from Telecoms and adjacent industries that illustrate key principles and early market progress.

Future Broadband: “Happy Pipes”: worth $416Bn by 2020?: The worldwide broadband access market has the potential to grow to $416bn by 2020, if operators embrace the “Happy Pipe” concept. Headline forecasts and analysis from the Telco 2.0 Strategy Report “Mobile, Fixed and Wholesale Broadband Business Models: Best Practice Innovation, ‘Telco 2.0' Opportunities, Forecasts and Future Scenarios”.

Optimising Mobile Broadband Economics: Key Issues and Next Steps: The Executive Summary and extract from a report on key issues for operators seeking to optimise mobile broadband network economics which were debated at the recent Telco 2.0 EMEA Brainstorm in London. (Special Briefing, May 2010)

LTE: 'Longer Term Enthusiasm'?: A typically pithy summary of the recent well-attended LTE World Summit in Amsterdam by Dean Bubley, co-author of the Telco 2.0 'New Mobile, Fixed and Wholesale Broadband Models' Strategy Report, founder of Disruptive Analysis, and long time Telco 2.0 Associate.

RIM: how does the BlackBerry fit with Telco 2.0 strategies?: Our analysis of how RIM’s BlackBerry business model may offer operators interesting near term opportunities to manage smartphone data traffic costs, and partner with to exploit future ‘Telco 2.0’ opportunities. (March 2010)

New Strategy Report: Mobile, Fixed and Wholesale Broadband Business Models: A new 249 page Telco 2.0 Strategy Report on the future of broadband, including analysis of the latest new ideas in broadband business model innovation, new 'Telco 2.0' Opportunities, global forecasts, four future strategic scenarios, and a detailed 'Use Case' describing a new Managed Offload 'Use Case'. The report covers Mobile Broadband, Advanced New Wholesale, and Fixed Retail Broadband Business Models. (March 2010)

Mobile & Fixed Broadband Business Models: Four Strategy Scenarios: An introduction to the four strategy scenarios we see playing out in the market - 'Telco 2.0 Player', 'Happy Piper', 'Device Specialist', and 'Government Department' – part of a major new report looking at innovation in mobile and fixed broadband business models. (March 2010, Foundation 2.0)

Fixing Wireless Data Network Economics: The growth in mobile data, and in particular mobile video, is placing increasing strains on the cost structure of some mobile networks. Telco 2.0 is undertaking a syndicated study to define the economic choke points, and propose alternate business model solutions. (March 2010)

New Opportunities in Online Content Distribution: As part of our new 'Broadband End-Games' report, we’ve been defining in detail the opportunities for telcos to distribute 3rd party content and digital goods in new ways. (December 2009)

Dealing with the Wireless Data Explosion: As business models evolve to cope with demands on bandwidth, it may be in everyone's interest to allow customers to access, ad hoc, certain resources across any available wireless network. (Guest Article, September 2009).

LTE: Late, Tempting, and Elusive: To some, LTE is the latest mobile wonder technology – bigger, faster, better. But how do institutional investors see it? An in-depth perspective from new Telco 2.0 partners, Arete Research. (Guest Executive Briefing, Aug 2009)

Online Video vs Broadband: a symbiotic relationship?: Initially, broadband enabled online video. Now online video is growing to become the volume driver of broadband traffic. Analysis of these interrelated markets at different stages of evolution worldwide provides insight to future strategy in both. (July 2009)

Mobile Broadband: Urgent need for new business models: While the market for mobile broadband services (3G/WiMax/Dongles/Netbooks etc.) is growing explosively, today’s telco propositions are based on out-moded business models which threaten profitability. Telco 2.0 proposes innovative retail and wholesale approaches to improve returns. (Executive Briefing, July 2009)

Video Distribution 2.0 - Time to fix the fundamentals: Telco 2.0 Executive Brainstormers agree that there are problems in the value chain, but there is less agreement on the priorities. Competing strategies to monetise online video effectively are assessed. (Special Event Briefing, May 2009)

Defining the Digital Generation: Young Today, Grey Tomorrow: The activities of today's youth will cascade across the generations. How should service providers prepare for the customer of the future? (March 2009)

Online Video Distribution: how will the market play out?: Disruption in the online video distribution market presents “a once in a lifetime chance to change their place” for some and a severe strategic threat for others. Likely scenarios and strategies that players should adopt for success. (Executive Briefing, Feb 2009.)

The Digital Generation: Introducing the Participation Imperative Framework: The "Participation Imperative Framework" describes new customer behaviour and needs that will drive future product and service innovation. (Feb 2009)

Online Video Usage - YouTube thrashes iPlayer, but for how long?: Online Video demand patterns are becoming clearer but a working economic model is not. What's next? (July 2008)

Mobile NGN - a Real Telco 2.0 Opportunity?: Analyst's review of "Next-Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Beyond HSPA and EVDO", technical requirements framework for vendors. (March 2008)

Beyond bundling: the future of broadband: An edited version of a keynote presentation of results of our Broadband Business Models survey into the industry's future (November 2007).

Triple play, go away: The limitations of the "Triple Play" (and other "N-Plays") in a multi-media, multi-mode delivery game. (November 2007)

Google anchors its carrier off the coast of Telcoland: Why is Google bothering with nonexclusive radio spectrum - and offering to sublicence it for public access? (July 2007)