The Changing Face Of Telecom Wholesale

Last year we said that the wholesale sector in telecom was at an inflection point. This study shows that the changes we detected last year accelerated with market forces driving change in what customers want from their wholesale suppliers and in the business-to-business (B2B) services the latter are now offering. As a consequence, the boundaries around the wholesale market are blurring, and the build-or-buy decision is becoming more complex as customers like Vodafone in UK partner with its supplier BT Wholesale. Vendor strategists at wholesale providers should take three lessons from these developments: 1) Go where the new market is, or risk being left behind; 2) change with your customers and open the door to new opportunities; and 3) be clear on your new business model — the old way will no longer work.