Check out Last Year’s Prediction Article HERE

SO, how did I do? More importantly, how did YOU, the custodians and do-ers of our fine industry, do?

Here’s a quick run down of my Top 10 - and what this means for 2026 going forwards.

1. Retail Telco Stores Embrace the Conversation - PARTIAL HIT

There has been progress here for sure. Brands like EE in the UK, Consumer Cellular in the USA, and a handful of others worldwide have started to understand that DWELL TIME is important in telecoms. Their new stores designs have been improvements on the “clean white spaceship” concept that has plagued us for 15+ years.

There have also been a huge swell of brands like TIM in Italy and Claro in Chile, who have clapped themselves on the back for opening exactly that same boring white box concept that is all about the TRANSACTION and nothing to do with the relationship or the experience.

Must do better in 2026.

2. Telco / Gaming Crossover Accelerates - HIT

This is happening at pace now as telco operators realize that they must embrace the energy of other sectors to grow and bring new customers. You can see the gaming execution from EE in UK, elsewhere Mobily in Saudi Arabia have announced an eSports portal, with monthly subscriptions needed to access the gamut of daily eSports competitions and much more.

Expect this one to continue to grow in 2026.

3. Data Banks as a Form of Social Good - PARTIAL HIT

While this started the year very well with a big announcement from VM/o2 in the UK, the year did not see many other big launches. Perhaps the global financial outlook hampered this a little?

What did happen were a number of sterling efforts from operators to help safeguard children, from Orange Belgium launching the “Orange Mobile Child” plans, to EE in the UK once again showing they are at the forefront of the trends by doing likewise.

4. Self Care Apps Becoming Integrated ShopFronts - MISS

I am maybe early on this. The app experience is still clunky, and not enough volume is being driven by digital channels to justify the continued investment.

A GOAL of most telcos is to have “One Cart” across multiple channels, and some are doing this now with retail, eCommerce AND Self Care all sharing multiple integrations and enabling the transaction to happen flexibly.

Maybe 2026 is the year that more telcos will invest here?

5. The Death of IVR Loops - MISS

How could this happen. Aaaarrrgggghhhhh. Despite the roaring success of AI - so many companies are still using legacy IVR loop tech and driving their customers mad in the process.

🙏🏽that these awful things disappear in 2026 - please, please, please!

6. b2b Crossover in Retail Spaces - HIT

This has made a resurgence in 2025, with a number of great b2b areas coming to the fore, not least Deutsche Telekom in Germany with their business zone. More and more telcos are realizing the power of the retail footfall is huge, and in making every single square meter of the space work hard to deliver revenue, you CAN deliver great SME and b2b growth in a retail setting.

More of this in 2026 please.

7. An M&A Wave Reshapes the Landscape - HIT

NEC buying CSGi to have them swallow Netcracker? MEGA MERGER!

Optiva finally getting a new home with Qvantel?

The mergers continued in a big way in the vendor space, in the carrier space it was the usual swapping out of certain territories, with Telefonica exiting most of Latin America while keeping Brazil as one of their core global OpCos.

With 2026 rumored to be a VERY DIFFICULT year in the financial markets, expect this to continue as those who have continue to swallow those who don’t.

8. AI’s Meteoric Rise - With Some Speed Bumps - PARTIAL HIT

Meteoric? Yes.

Speed bumps? Not quite yet.

Give this one time and there will be a recoil at the first time something goas badly wrong under the stewardship of AI.

9. Satellite Connectivity Fills The Gaps - HIT

Partnerships galore! One New Zealand and T-Mobile working with Starlink, various providers including AT&T and Vodafone working with AST Space Mobile - this one is growing FAST!

Expect that to continue for the next 5 years. The telcos need a very careful strategy here as the new battel is between masts on land and masts in space. Which one gives the biggest ROI?

10. The Training & Upskilling Explosion - MISS

This is massively disappointing. My prediction for 2026?

“Soft Skills are the New GOLD”.

While some savvy operators have latched onto innovative new material (such as our own “Showtime” program) and driven great sales and experience increases, others have just put their head in the sand and IGNORED this opportunity.

The market will decide. Once the increases are within reach of all the operators, and they understand how to execute, the pendulum here will shift - mark my words.

SO - The Final Scores are In!

HIT = 4

PARTIAL HIT = 3

MISS = 3

Shall we call that 7/10 or maybe 5.5? Haha. Doesn’t matter.

What matters is that our industry continues to move forward, and avoids being the utility that some carriers are sleepwalking into.

With some of the coolest tech products around using our services, we should be at the forefront of the TECH RELATIONSHIP with our customers.
Some telcos are moving that way, and understanding the profitability that can follow. Other’s are desperately trying - and I salute you all.

The rest of you - get your act together!

Roll on 2026.