MWC26 in Barcelona is right around the corner, and the telco industry is already buzzing about what will unfold at the Fira. Four big themes will dominate this year’s event: AI-driven networks, network APIs, AI data centers, and regulation. But which of these present real opportunities for telecom, and which are expensive distractions or even potential minefields?
For this episode, I’m joined by Dean Bubley, founder and director of Disruptive Analysis. He and I give our takes on what telcos should prioritize in the coming year, where the real obstacles lie, and what it will take to win in 2026.
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Dean Bubley is the founder of Disruptive Analysis, an independent technology industry analyst and consulting firm based in London. He also jointly runs the Disruptive 6G initiative and is a convener of the 6G Reset forum and the Unthinkable Lab project. An outspoken analyst and futurist with over 25 years of experience, he specializes in mobile/telecoms fields, with an eye on broader technological, governmental, and societal contexts. He is one of the leading market observers and forecasters covering 5G, 6G, Wi-Fi, voice & network AI, spectrum & broadband policy, edge/cloud compute, enterprise private networks, IoT, new telecom business models, and voice/video communications.
The Telco in 20 podcast is ranked in the top 5% of all podcasts globally by Listen Notes! 🎉 We’ve also won 2024 and 2025 MarCom Awards, 2024 and 2025 Hermes Creative Awards, and are recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast.
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Set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.
Both Dean Bubley and DR agree: start simple. While Dean sees AI permeating networks in areas like Wi-Fi diagnostics and beam management, Danielle advises tackling easier concepts like business support systems (BSS) or back office operations first. She emphasizes the need to address cultural change and talent scarcity before pursuing full network autonomy, especially while regulatory frameworks are still evolving.
Dean Bubley believes telcos should use their own network APIs internally first, with their own product teams creating solutions. The second group of customers should be other operators using them on a wholesale basis. Only after proving internal value should they target enterprise and long-tail developers. As Dean puts it, if operators won’t trust their own anti-fraud or network APIs, why would external developers?
Dean Bubley says generally no, and Danielle Rios strongly agrees. Dean points out hyperscalers are investing in nuclear power while telcos lack energy strategies. Danielle emphasizes the challenge of keeping up with Huang’s law (chips improving 15x every two years) and the software stack needed. Both recommend that telcos focus on connectivity—their core strength—rather than competing in GPU clouds or edge AI inferencing.
Danielle Rios promotes Totogi’s BSS Magic as “a way to transform your telco without having to actually transform your systems.” This approach allows operators to move fast with AI and achieve transformation outcomes without the heavy lift of replacing core infrastructure—embodying DR’s principle that in moments of uncertainty, fast beats perfect.
DR argues that telcos historically miss technology shifts by defaulting to regulatory battles instead of racing to execute commercially. While acknowledging safety and data sovereignty matter, she believes fighting regulation first while competitors execute land grabs means missing another wave. Her advice: use AI, see if it works, then address regulation—not the other way around. Dean notes the paradox that networks running AI face high regulatory thresholds as critical infrastructure.
Danielle Rios highlights the challenge with concrete numbers: while McKinsey & Company projects a $300 billion market, Twilio, the world’s best API company with 10 million developers, generates only $5 billion in revenue. Dean Bubley adds skepticism about long value chains—from operators through aggregators to CPaaS providers to marketplaces—questioning profitability per API call. Both agree the real challenge is finding developers and proving compelling use cases beyond basic services.
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