Microsoft has been quick to pick up the GenAI reins, making huge investments in OpenAI and strategic acquisitions like Inflection AI. Now, the hyperscaler wants to help telcos bring AI into their organizations in meaningful ways. 

For this episode, I spoke with Jason Hogg, GM for AIOps within Azure for Operators, about where telcos are on their AI journey, how Microsoft is helping them prepare data for AI workloads, and how CSPs can steer their organizations to make the most of the AI revolution. Listen now to hear:

• How Microsoft is helping telcos manage siloed data to support AI, both in the cloud and at the edge [03:21];
• How AI tools like Azure OpenAI and Azure Operator Insights are being used in operations, fraud detection, and more [05:20];
• The importance of moving beyond AI experimentation to putting AI models to work in the business [09:22]; and
• Why telcos need to redesign their organizations to be AI-first [13:10].

Links and Resources

• Jason talked about Microsoft’s work with 3UK to use Azure Operator Insights to break down silos and generate new insights. Check out this video overview here. 
• Read my recent blog on how to transform your customer support with AI
• At last year’s TelecomTV AI-Native Telco Summit, I took part in a panel on Using AIOps for operational efficiencies. Watch the on-demand recording.
• Check out Frederick Winslow Taylor’s best-selling organizational design book, Shop Management.
• Learn more about Totogi’s BSS Magic
• Check out Accelerating telco transformation in the era of AI, a blog from Microsoft’s Jason Zandor.
• In late March, the Telecoms.com Podcast welcomed former Telco in 20 guest Shawn Hakl, Microsoft’s VP of 5G strategy, to talk about the public cloud and 5G. Listen to the conversation. 
• Take a look at this video of “Extreme Buddy Skiing.” It takes a lot of fear, anxiety, and planning to get to the moment where you can drop in on a face like the one they ski. It reminds me of what it takes to make big moves to use the public cloud and AI the right way! 
• Check out this episode on our YouTube channel.
• You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on X @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on X @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won a 2024 Gold Hermes Award, 2023 and 2022 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

Jason Hogg is a General Manager responsible for the Azure for Operators (AfO) AIOps program, which includes Azure Operator Insights and Azure Operator Service Manager. Prior to AfO, Jason led the creation of the Azure Data Lake Storage platform and Azure Media Services’ AI based Video Analytics service. Jason has 30+ years of experience in software development, having spent the last 21 years at Microsoft where he has also worked in Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Research, and Developer Division. Jason holds a MSc (Comp Sci) from University of Washington.

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Supervising Producer: Amanda Avery
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

Last week at the NOVACOM 1-to-1 Telco Summit in Kenya, I connected with fellow podcaster Ali Hussein Kassim, host of Ali Talks Tech, which focuses on Africa’s changing tech landscape. We decided to record a joint episode about Totogi’s recent work with Zain to restore critical mobile services in Sudan after they were knocked out due to the ongoing civil war. 

Abdalla Hamid, Director of IT at Zain Sudan, joined us to talk about how Totogi got Zain back up and running in just 18 days thanks to the power of the public cloud. Listen now to hear:

• The dire situation Zain Sudan faced when it suffered a 40-day outage of essential services, and how Totogi helped it get back online [06:14];
• The way Totogi's Charging-as-a-Service revolutionizes telco charging, lowering TCO by up to 80% and deploying in weeks instead of 6-18 months [16:07];
• Why I’m supercharged about Totogi’s ability to transform the telco industry and help the world's unconnected [20:40].
• How Totogi and Zain plan to move forward together, leveraging the latest AI tech in Africa—even on 2G networks! [23:39].

Links and Resources

• Read the announcement of Totogi’s exciting partnership with Zain
• Check out my recent blog and episode 89 to find out why the public cloud is PERFECT for Africa.
• Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube.
• Read McKinsey & Company’s recent report, Africa’s leap ahead into cloud: Opportunities and barriers
• Check out the Ali Talks Tech podcast for insights on Africa's rapidly changing tech landscape.
• See the graph showing the networks going down in Sudan in early February.
• Everyone at the conference got a delicious local welcome gift: Mocha Bombs in dark chocolate. Delicious! Give them a try if you ever get a chance!
• Check out this episode on our YouTube channel.
• Read the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring. 

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast, and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Ali Hussein Kassim, Ali Talks Tech founder and host

Ali is a serial entrepreneur and a regular commentator and contributor on all things tech and the policy and regulatory landscape across Africa and beyond. He consults on digital transformation, and serves in leadership roles on public and private sector boards including Africa Fintech Network, Association of Fintechs in Kenya, and Kenya ICT Action Network. He enjoys mentoring and investing in tech entrepreneurs across Africa. 

About Abdalla Hamid, Director of IT, Zain, Sudan

Abdalla Isamaldin Abdalla Hamid is a results-driven professional with 15+ years of experience in project management, business analysis, and digital transformation. As Director of Information Technology (IT), he aligns IT strategy with business goals and oversees IT operations. Abdalla's expertise encompasses BSS, project and program management, software development, automation, IT infrastructure and digital transformation. He holds an MBA and certifications in project management and service engineering. 

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

The hyperscalers are spending billions to build regions in Africa, setting the stage for the public cloud to revolutionize the continent’s telcos. With regulations easing and the number of affordable SaaS solutions growing, African telecoms are poised for an era of growth and success. 

Are the continent’s telcos ready to make the most of all the public cloud offers? In this episode, I talk with Shay Assaraf, Totogi's chief marketing officer, about their progress with public cloud adoption and Totogi’s groundbreaking deal with Zain Sudan, a Tier 1 mobile network operator (MNO) in the region. Listen now to hear:

• How all of the Big 3 hyperscalers are expanding their African footprint [04:57];
• Examples of partnerships between African telcos and hyperscalers for connectivity, AI/ML, cloud computing and more [06:27];
• Advice for navigating the continent’s data regulations and security concerns when adopting the public cloud [09:24]; and
• How Totogi helped Zain Sudan to move off of its Ericsson charger in 18 days [15:03].

Links and Resources

• Read the announcement of Totogi’s exciting partnership with Zain
• Read DR’s blog on why the public cloud is perfect for Africa
• Check out McKinsey & Company’s recent report, Africa’s leap ahead into cloud: Opportunities and barriers
• Download a copy of the TelcoDR Data Regulations whitepaper
• Read about these exciting partnerships between telcos and the hyperscalers!
  • Vodafone and Google Cloud boost data analytics by consolidating data 
  • Vodafone and Microsoft bring GenAI, digital services, and the cloud to 300 million +  businesses and consumers
  • Vodafone and Amazon to extend connectivity in Africa and Europe through Project Kuiper
  • Tomorrow.io and MTN Group work with Microsoft to deliver lifesaving weather early warnings in Africa 
  • MTN Group and Google CLoud join foces to improve customer experiences with AI/ML-powered insights
  • AWS partners with Kenya’s Safaricom on cloud and consulting services
  • Safaricom partners with Google Cloud to bring economic growth the Kenya
• Next week find me at Novacom’s 1-to-1 Telco Summit in Diani Beach, Kenya, running April 23 - 25. If you’ll be there too, shoot me a DM on Linkedin or X @TelcoDR so we can meet! I can’t wait to show you our game-changing Totogi platform.
• As a sponsor of the Summit and in honor of the telco execs attending, Totogi has adopted the Kakuma Vocational Centre in a refugee camp in Kenya as part of our work with Unconnected.org. We’re funding a computer lab for students of all ages with localized learning software, safety training, and free internet access for two years.
• Wanna see what’s going on with hyperscaler regions in Africa? Take a look at our Hyperscaler Regions Tracker, which tracks live and planned regions across the globe.
• Check out this episode on our YouTube channel.
• Read the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring. 

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast, and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Shay Assaraf

Shay is a seasoned tech B2B marketing executive with nearly 20 years of experience, specializing in positioning, go-to-market, product marketing and building growth marketing programs for disruptive technologies and practices. He currently serves as a CMO in Totogi where he is part of a leadership team aiming to help telcos monetize their networks through AI and the public cloud. He previously served as a CMO in Gentrack, Sapiens and Optiva, where he played a pivotal role in steering a significant strategic product and go-to-market shifts to enable growth through delivering value to customers and leveraging disruptive technologies and practices. 

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

If you’re partnering with one or more of the hyperscalers, their roadmap is your roadmap. It’s important to know where they’re steering their ships, and a great way to gain insight into this is to follow their CAPEX spending. 

For this episode, I talk with Charles Fitzgerald, managing director at Platformonomics. His annual Follow the CAPEX report tracks spending by the Big 3 hyperscalers—Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud—and includes crystal-ball insights into their strategic plans and priorities. Listen now to hear: 

• How the hyperscalers spent money in 2023 and how their paths are diverging [02:10];
• How AI strategy is affecting CAPEX spending [05:47];
• The last word on whether cloud repatriation is really a trend [11:36]; and
• Why it’s time for "clown providers" like IBM and Oracle to ante up or get out of the big top [16:59].

Links and Resources

• Read Charles Fitzgerald’s 2023 retrospective on public cloud CapEx spending and check out his Q1 2023 Repatriation IndexTM 
• Take a look at TelcoDR’s Hyperscaler Region Tracker to see where the three “BIGS” have been putting their regions.
• Check out this Bloomberg article about Amazon’s AI-focused data center investments, which includes quotes from Charles.
• Charles is all about following the money—great inspiration for a $-inspired playlist:
  • Money by Pink Floyd
  • Can't Buy Me Love by The Beatles
  • Money, Money, Money by ABBA
  • Money for Nothing by Dire Straits
  • She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summer
• I can’t wait to pounce on telco execs while I’m in Diani Beach, Kenya, just like my favorite Winnie-the-Pooh character Tigger would do. 
• Check out this episode on our YouTube channel.
• You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Charles Fitzgerald

Charles Fitzgerald is a Seattle-based angel investor, with a focus on developer platforms and infrastructure. Previously, he spent 20+ years working on platform businesses at Microsoft and VMware. He can see the cloud from his house.

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

Despite having "as a service" in its name, traditional Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) deployments often fail to deliver on the promise of a true SaaS platform. One company, Alianza, has figured out a way to move UCaaS to AWS, offering a genuine SaaS solution that leverages the scalability and resilience of the public cloud.

I sat down with Brian Beutler, founder and CEO of Alianza, to discuss how his company is working to revolutionize the UCaaS landscape. Listen now to hear:

• The challenges Alianza faced in moving UCaaS to the public cloud and how it overcame them [05:14];
• How telcos’ mindset needs to shift to stay competitive with the evolving landscape [08:11];
• The impact of Alianza's recent strategic collaboration with AWS on the future of enterprise communications [09:41]; and
• Jimmy Chin’s advice for telco executives [16:55].

Links and Resources

• Visit the Alianza website to learn more about the company.
• Read the press release about Alianza’s partnership with AWS.
• Did you know that I bought a UCaaS company, too? TelcoDR affiliate Skyvera bought Kandy Communications in March 2023 and we’re modernizing the product suite for the public cloud.
• Check out findings from Alianza’s recent research report with Omdia, Reinventing Core Communications: Strategic Imperatives for Growth.
• In 2019, Jimmy Chin won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for "Free Solo.” Here’s the trailer for that movie, which is about how Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan, the famous 3,200 ft rock face in Yosemite National Park, without a rope.
• Check out this episode on our YouTube channel.
• You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Brian Beutler

Brian Beutler is the founder and CEO of Alianza, the leading cloud communications platform for telco service providers. He is passionate about transforming the telecommunications industry by empowering service providers to deliver modernized, cloud-native core communications solutions to supercharge growth, simplify operations and reduce costs. Under Beutler’s leadership, Utah-based Alianza has forged a strategic collaboration agreement with AWS and counts Lumen Technologies, Brightspeed, Viasat and Xplore among its tier-one and nationwide customers. 

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

Last week I gave my FOURTH keynote talk at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 when I opened the second annual MVNO Summit to a standing-room-only crowd of industry leaders. Most were from MNOs, MVNOs, and digital brands that want to be at the forefront of an AI-powered revolution in telco business support systems (BSS). 

In my talk, I introduced a new AI-first, fully customized BSS solution that blends speed, scalability, and affordability to deliver a next-gen experience that streamlines operations and lowers costs. In the middle of it, I chatted with an avatar and created a BSS right on stage!

We captured the talk on video, and I’ve turned it into this podcast. Listen now to learn: 

• Why the emergence of two major innovations—AI and the public cloud—is disrupting incumbent vendors, leveling the playing field, and making this the perfect time for BSS innovation [03:13];
• How the killer demo in my presentation demonstrates the power of an AI-first BSS solution [08:50]; and
• Why Totogi’s BSS Magic is the future of telco BSS [16:57].

Listen now by clicking play above or subscribe through your favorite podcast platform—see the links in the right column above. You can find the transcript for this episode here. 

Links and Resources

• Check out the video version of my MVNO Summit talk. It’s the best way to see the Totogi avatar in action and get a sense of just how easy BSS Magic is to use!
• Learn more about BSS Magic and Totogi.
• Read my blog about why now is the time for telco to have the perfect BSS, all because of generative AI.
• I still get questions about taking over Ericsson’s space at MWC 2021 and creating CLOUD CITY! It was AMAZING. I made the call about the public cloud coming to telco, and for the same reasons, generative AI is coming to telco, too.
• Watch all my MWC talks! Start with the talk that began it all, my 2021 MWC keynote, The Paradox of the Public Cloud. Then check out my 2023 MWC talk, SUPERCHARGE your MVNO with personalization, and my 2022 MWC talk, The Public Cloud is NOW!
• Generative AI is MAGIC. To celebrate the launch of BSS Magic, I put together this playlist of magic songs. Can you tell I love music from the 80s?
  • Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police
  • You Can Do Magic by America
  • Magic Man by Heart
  • Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band
  • She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby
  • Magic, by The Cars

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

New Zealand Mobile Network Operator (MNO) 2degrees is taking a fresh approach to its wholesale business and relationships with MVNOs. Instead of struggling with sharing its tech stack or setting up expensive separate stacks for MVNOs, the company is tapping Totogi's multi-tenant charger to streamline their onboarding and support, and to capture additional revenue. 

In this episode, 2degrees Head of Architecture Chris Bradley joins me to talk about why the company selected Totogi and how Totogi’s AI- and public cloud-driven vision is helping it prepare for the future. Listen now to hear: 

• How Totogi is helping 2degrees achieve its business goals [04:47];
• Why buying a SaaS platform made sense for the company [07:39];
• How easy it was for 2degrees to try out Totogi Charging-as-a-Service [14:18]; and
• How 2degrees will use Totogi’s AI-driven features to stay ahead [17:32].

If you’ll be at MWC 2024, stop by Totogi’s stand in Hall 2 at the Fira to see the product demos that made it easy for 2degrees to choose Totogi as a partner. Even better, book a meeting with the Totogi team!

Links and Resources

• Read the press release announcing this customer win.
• Check out the Totogi website and find us on AWS Marketplace.
• Visit the 2degrees website to learn more about the company.
• Will you be in Barcelona for MWC 2024? Don’t forget to grab a seat for my talk at the second annual MVNO Summit. Totogi is a Platinum sponsor!
• After the Summit wraps, join me at Totogi’s AI-CONIC afterparty. DM me on LinkedIn or X @TelcoDR for an invite.
• There are a lot of great movies filmed in New Zealand; the most famous being the ones that make up The Lord of Rings trilogy. But my favorite (not surprisingly) is Whale Rider. From IMDB: “Set on the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.” Sounds like me, in telco.
• Check out this episode on our YouTube channel.
• You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Chris Bradley

Chris Bradley, head of digital architecture at 2degrees, is driving 2degrees' shift to becoming a software-defined company. With more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry across New Zealand and Europe, Chris has extensive knowledge in creating exceptional customer experiences. As a leader, he strives for innovation and fosters a people-first culture that embraces change. Chris has a passion for using AI and technology, and he and his team are part of the core group at 2degrees driving the adoption of emerging and public cloud technology for telco.

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

Startup MVNO MobileX is going after the US market with the belief that most mobile subscribers don’t know how much data they need. Instead of pushing unlimited plans, the company offers an AI-based tool that analyzes each subscriber’s usage and creates personalized plans for them. 

I spoke with MobileX CEO Peter Adderton last year, and now he’s spilling the beans on what’s been happening with MobileX, its plans for 2024, and the company’s exciting new deal with Walmart. Listen now to hear:    

• How MobileX's AI-based data forecaster tool debunks the idea that consumers understand their data needs [02:18];
• Strategies for using two SIMs, a primary and secondary, to lower costs while maintaining coverage [06:20];
• The impact of MobileX's new agreement with Walmart [10:04];
• What’s next for the company’s technology and marketing [12:35].

Links and Resources

• Visit the MobileX website to learn more about the company.
• Listen to my conversation with Peter in 2023 in Telco in 20 episode 58, Live and Learn: A new MVNO approach with Peter Adderton.
• Learn about Totogi’s PlanAI product—and how to get your hands on our ML model that can predict churn 6 weeks in advance!
• Follow @peter_adderton on X—he’s a great person to follow and is constantly dropping great insights about how to build a great MVNO.
• The best part about following Peter? When he shares his real life-struggles with building MobileX or his wins with how people are swapping to MobileX.
• Learn more about the upcoming MVNO Summit at Mobile World Congress 2024. Totogi is a Platinum sponsor, along with Amdocs (of all companies—can you believe it?). Let’s meet while we’re there!
• Peter and I have strong opinions on whether or not mobile phones should be allowed in schools. Check out these letters to the New York Times on school cell phone bans:
  • Should Schools Ban Cellphones?
  • When Students’ Cellphones ‘Colonize Their Minds
• Last year, Peter and US Mobile CEO Ahmed Khattak exchanged words after their Telco in 20 episodes ran. They have different views about whether consumers know how much data they use, and they took their disagreement to Twitter. It reminds me of the Netflix show Beef, which just won a bunch of Golden Globes and Emmys!
• Check out this episode on our YouTube channel.
• You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Platinum MarComm Award, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Peter Adderton

Peter Adderton is founder and CEO of MobileX, a wireless brand positioned to disrupt the wireless industry. He is the driving force behind two of the most successful youth brands established in the mobile industry—Boost Mobile and Amp’d Mobile. Peter catapulted the Boost brand to become one of the fastest growing wireless brands in its category in all markets with annual revenues over $500M and more than five million subscribers.

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

It’s been a year since the GSMA announced its Open Gateway initiative and the telco industry is working to figure out how to monetize network APIs to their full advantage. For this episode, I talk with McKinsey & Company Partner Ferry Grijpink about the API economy and what operators need to do to capture revenue and build their strategic position. Listen now to hear: 

• Ferry’s advice for telecoms that want to monetize network APIs [03:18];
• How telcos can leverage established relationships with enterprise customers to attract developers [06:58]; 
• Ferry’s opinion on whether it’s important for telcos to own the developer relationship [09:22]; and
• The importance of developing valuable use cases for network APIs to accelerate their adoption [13:22].

Links and Resources

• Check out these resources from McKinsey & Company:
  • Navigating the three horizons of 5G business building
  • What separates B2B GTM outperformers in tech and telecom
• Read more about Whoosh! and sign up for a meeting and demo at MWC24.
• Read more about the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative and its DevCon event at MWC24 on February 28.
• Three Brazilian operators—Claro, TIM, and Vivo—just joined Open Gateway, bringing the total to nearly 40 operators on the Open Gateway train. 
• In this video, Ross Ortega, VP product management at Microsoft Azure, weighs in on Open Gateway, Azure Programmable Connectivity Architecture, and the future of network APIs
• If you build it, they will come worked in the movie Field of Dreams, but I’m not sure it’s going to work for Network APIs. Not even if you had it to Azure and leverage their developer ecosystem. I think for this one, telcos, you’re going to have to do some work.
• Ferry is a return guest on the Telco in 20 podcast. Don’t miss our conversation in episode 45, Drumming up ways to increase ARPU with McKinsey. I *still* owe him dinner for disrupting his talk! Maybe I’ll catch him in Barcelona.
• A rare Ferry and DR sighting in the wild! I got the chance to meet Ferry in person for the first time a few months ago at TM Forum in Copenhagen.
• You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on X @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on X @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2023 and 2022 MarCom Awards, a 2022 Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Ferry Grijpink

Ferry leads the McKinsey Center for Advanced Connectivity within McKinsey & Company’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications Practice, and advises telecommunications companies on strategy, marketing, and operations, including mobile operators that are launching adjacent businesses in areas such as mobile health and money services. He also co-leads McKinsey’s research on deploying and commercializing next-generation infrastructures, such as fiber, mobile broadband, and 5G networks.

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

BT Group started its journey to the public cloud years ago, which has put the company in a strong position to take advantage of the strategic capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI). For this episode, I talk with Josie Smith, chief architect, digital, at BT Group, about the company's efforts to reduce its applications from thousands to hundreds, bring AI into the organization, and drive monumental change across its employee base. Listen now to hear:

• How BT Group’s transformation program, Simplify, is poised save the company £3 billion by 2025 [02:53]; 
• The details of its massive effort to slash technical debt and increase agility [05:29];
• How BT Group’s workforce is responding to its digital transformation [08:57]; and
• What the company is doing to unleash AI’s potential [12:24];

Links and Resources

• Learn more about BT Group.
• Check out this Light Reading article, BT eyes 100% shift to public cloud, not “pretend mist” of private, by Iain Morris.
• Another great read is Raconteur’s piece featuring BT Group’s chief digital and innovation officer, Harmeen Mehta, who isn’t afraid to call out industry’s fear as a roadblock to innovation and growth. 
• AI productivity improvements are real. Journalists like to sensationalize job cuts but if you’re worried about your job being affected by AI, I have one piece of advice: learn AI and be the best at it. Companies need leaders and contributors who know how to transform work with AI.
• Josie is such a Star Trek fan that she actually walked down the aisle to the theme song from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Check it out! 
• I like Star Trek, but I’m more of a Star Wars fan. My favorite Yoda quote? “Do, or do not. There is no try.” Watch the famous clip from the Empire Strikes Back. 
• You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on X @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won a 2023 MarCom Award, a 2022 Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Josie Smith

Josie Smith is leading and driving the re-architecture of BT Group’s digital landscape from 2400 applications down to 500, taking BT Group from a telco to a techco, and from monolithic to modular, agile, and flexible. She is guiding a future for BT Group that connects for good and creates an exceptional experience for customers. Josie is a leader who engages with energy, creativity and fun, and a pioneer of outcome-based approaches as a method of truly linking strategy and execution at pace. She is an ambassador for women in tech/engineering and advocates for inspirational learning in the sciences across all ages to increase diversity within the STEM industries. 

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson

It’s time to announce our top episode of 2023! It’s been an incredible journey for the Telco in 20 podcast—now clocking in with well over 100,000 total listens. We’ve had some great guests this year, like Mats Granryd from the GSMA, McKinsey & Company Partner Ferry Grijpink, and Microsoft’s Rick Lievano. 

There were tons of popular episodes, which made it a race to the finish line to name our Best of 2023. In the end, none topped my conversation with Mobi CEO Justen Burdette. He joined me in April to talk about the Hawaiian MVNO’s public-cloud-native mobile core, its collaboration with Working Group Two, and the benefits of embracing the public cloud. Listen now to hear: 

• What makes Mobi unique from traditional MVNOs [3:51];
• How having its own mobile core benefits its customers [08:03];
• Why having a cloud-first mindset changes the game [12:25]; and
• What makes Working Group Two's APIs so powerful [14:59].

Links and Resources

• What does it take to be a top 10% podcast? Or even a top 1%? Top 10% podcasts get 50,000 listens per year, while the top 1% get more than 2 million! In 2023, the Telco in 20 podcast moved into the top 5% in annual listens. Yay!
• Telco in 20 has now turned in 81 episodes. Eighty-one! I still remember recording the first one with Jim Abolt. I never dreamed I’d make it to 81! Did you know that only 50% of podcasts make it past episode 25? For 2024, we’ll pass 100! Yikes!
• Wanna know what our top episodes of the year were? Including Justen’s episode, these were the other top episodes pulling in a combined 19,000+ listens:
  • Ep 62 - Running your network on the public cloud with Juniper Networks
  • Ep 71 - Save bookoo bucks with CloudFix
  • Ep 76 - Into the Nexus of GenAI with Microsoft
  • Ep 77 - Why do subscribers churn: network coverage or price?
• Visit the Mobi website.
• Learn more about Mobi’s work with Working Group Two.
• Justen talked about the beauty of APIs—learn more about Totogi’s Churn Prediction Service, Charging as a Service, and Whoosh!
• Read about Mobi’s deal with T-Mobile US to expand into the continental US 5G market
• You can find the transcript of this episode here.
• Listen to this conversation on our TelcoDR YouTube channel.

Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

Follow DR

• Have an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!
• Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us know
• Follow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20
• Follow DR on X @TelcoDR

The Telco in 20 podcast won 2023 and 2022 MarCom Awards, a 2022 Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.  If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!

This week’s guest

About Justen Burdette

Justen Burdette serves as the chief executive officer for Mobi, the regional wireless provider for Hawaiʻi. He previously served as vice president of products at Tucows, where he helped lead the growth of its Ting Mobile wireless brand to over $90 million in annual revenue before its acquisition by Dish (Nasdaq: DISH), at the time making it the fifth largest independent MVNO in the country including its Ting IoT business. He also led the launch of its Ting Internet fiber-to-the-home ISP in several regional markets, and helped manage the development of its in-house CRM, BSS, and OSS platform, which has since become a standalone SaaS startup, Wavelo.

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Editing: Andrew Condell
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson