Asia-Pacific telcos double down on digital services in pursuit of new growth: focus on mobile finance in consumer space and security services for business
Asia-Pacific telecom operators are making bold moves to drive revenue growth, according to new TM Forum research released on the opening day of Innovate Asia 2025. More than half (52 percent) are backing mobile financial services as the leading consumer opportunity and nearly two-thirds (62 percent) are prioritizing security-as-a-service for B2B growth.
The “Asian Operators Search for Revenue Growth Opportunities” report reveals a decisive shift away from legacy pay-TV and video services, with smart home and consumer AI offerings (44 percent each) now seen as key drivers to add value to home broadband packages.
Operators are racing to expand revenue beyond connectivity. AI, automation, and open IT architectures are now essential for sustainable growth.”
— Dean Ramsay, Principal Analyst at TM Forum,
Dean Ramsay, Principal Analyst at TM Forum, said: “Operators are racing to expand revenue beyond connectivity. AI, automation, and open IT architectures are now essential for sustainable growth. Underpinning this shift, our Open Digital Architecture has never been more relevant as a proven path to streamline architecture, modernize systems, and automate operations as operators pursue innovation and growth.”
The research shows Asia’s CSPs are optimistic about the power of AI, automation, and open IT architectures to fuel growth. 68 percent say AI enablement for sales, marketing, and customer service is “extremely important,” while network automation (57 percent), BSS transformation (51 percent), and composable IT architectures (50 percent) outrank traditional 5G investments as top priorities.
Two-thirds of operators see network slicing, network-as-a-service, and API monetization as game-changers for reinventing how network services are packaged and delivered, mirroring hyperscaler models but with tailored strategies for the region. These opportunities rely on open frameworks and autonomous network capabilities, which are core to TM Forum’s mission to help the industry unlock new growth and deliver future-ready digital services.
These findings will fuel debate and collaboration among more than 1,000 industry leaders at Innovate Asia 2025 this week, where over 60 companies will co-create high-value use cases and shape the future of connectivity.
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