Mobile network operators (MNOs) have all but lost traditional revenue streams such as voice and SMS.
Data consumption is exploding, but wildly popular over-the-top (OTT) services such as WhatsApp, Skype, Netflix and thousands of others are threatening to turn MNOs into mere utility-type businesses.
To make matters worse; companies have to invest massive amounts in new infrastructure continuously.
Telco operators are changing their business models
From being capital intensive, infrastructure-heavy businesses they seem to grow in focus to more service-type businesses…
Premeshin Naidoo, Absa Corporate and Investment Bank
Traditional revenues have eroded heavily through OTTs. They are trying to find new revenue sources through digital services… focusing on IT and cloud offerings… video, music and entertainment type services… Mobile money and digital finance and insurance type of offerings…
Bora Varliyagci, CEO – DigitalThings
Fixed line infrastructure providers are building towers… considering themselves as turnkey infrastructure providers… making substantial investments…
Juanita Clark, CEO – FTTX Council Africa
For MNOs to provide services requires expensive infrastructure, increasingly supplied by independent infrastructure owners and operators.
These independent operator-owners then leverage the economy of scale of serving multiple MNOs to bring the cost of capital investment down.
In 2009, almost none of the towers [in Africa] were managed by tower companies. Today, more than 60% of towers on the Continent is operated by tower companies…
Bora Varliyagci, CEO – DigitalThings
Outsourcing the capital expenditure intensive part of the business allows it to be competitive in services
As services and infrastructure become segregated, infrastructure players are consolidating assets between different owners to bring down costs further.
Two types of telecommunication providers are emerging:
- The asset/infrastructure owners (fixed lines, towers, data centres, etc.)
- MNOs (providing the applications and services to consumers and businesses)
For more detail, watch the video below. Premeshin Naidoo (Absa Corporate and Investment Banking) in discussion with Bora Varliyagci (CEO, DigitalThings) and Juanita Clark (CEO of FTTX Council Africa) on the evolution that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will bring and opportunities around digitisation.