Edition #37: Top 10 Things To Invest In As You Determine Your 2026 Budget

2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for telcos. Growth in consumer markets is slowing, OTT players and hyperscalers are stepping up, and investors are watching margins closely.

The question for telco leaders is simple: Where should you invest to get measurable ROI now, while preparing for the future?

In this edition of Telco Talk, we’ve outlined 10 priorities you should consider for next year. We’ve broken these into three buckets: Revenue Accelerators, Margin Protectors, and Strategic Bets. Think of it as a framework to balance your short-term wins with your long-term positioning. Let’s dive in!

Revenue Accelerators: Fueling Top-Line Growth

Revenue accelerators are the investments that most visibly move the needle on sales, ARPU, and customer retention. These are the kinds of initiatives that commercial and finance teams rally behind because results can be measured quickly.

With industry growth slowing, every dollar that drives acquisition, upsells, or stronger retention becomes critical. In 2026, telcos should prioritize at least one initiative in this category - ideally one with a clear payback period within the year, so they can generate near-term gains while freeing budget for innovation.

1. Modern Omnichannel Retail & POS Modernization

What it is: A telco-specific POS system that works across channels and devices. It should integrate all supporting systems into one interface, and handle everything quickly and smoothly - without swivels.

Why it’s important: Customers expect seamless experiences. If your omnichannel experience contains friction points, expect to lose sales to faster competitors.

Expected ROI: Brands with strong omnichannel experiences bring in 5.7 times more revenue than those that don’t.

2. Unified Telco Commerce Platform

What it is: A centralized system to standardize catalogs, promotions, and pricing across stores and channels.

Why it’s important: Fragmented promos confuse customers and increase reconciliation headaches. A unified platform spans all channels to simplify offers, reduces errors, and speed up campaign rollout.

Expected ROI: Telco-specific data is limited, but general retailers report up to 15% revenue growth and 25% reduction in operational costs within 18 months after shifting to unified commerce platforms.

3. Digital Contracts & End-to-End Workflow Digitization

What it is: The best digital contract solutions go beyond e-signatures - they digitize entire retail workflows, including onboarding checklists, service forms and promotions.

Why it’s important: Staff can manage every process digitally, customers move faster through the funnel, and compliance and auditing are simplified and can be tied to commissions. Not all digital contract solutions can do this; those that can give you a real operational edge.

Expected ROI: Increase compliance and save up to 85% when digitizing paper processes. Already have a digital contract solution? Moving to a telco-specific contract solution with digital workflow capabilities included can save 40% vs generic providers.

4. Sales Training & Frontline Enablement

What it is: Telecom-focused e-learning and enablement that develops interpersonal skills and boosts profits by instilling behaviours that close more sales.

Why it’s important: Even the best systems underperform without skilled staff. Training boosts attachment rates and customer satisfaction.

Expected ROI: Implementing a telco-specific sales training program can increase top line sales by 10%.

5. Data Platforms & Personalization (Loyalty, NBO, Analytics)

What it is: Customer data platforms and analytics engines that power churn prediction, next-best-offer recommendations, and loyalty programs.

Why it’s important: Personalization drives revenue and retention. Treat all customers the same, and you’ll miss incremental sales opportunities.

Expected ROI: McKinsey reports 10–15% revenue uplift from personalization in telecom and media.

Margin Protectors: Safeguarding Profits & Efficiency

Margin protectors focus on operational efficiency and cost control, ensuring profitability even in competitive or uncertain market conditions. These investments may not create the same immediate revenue lift as accelerators, but they protect the bottom line by reducing waste, streamlining processes, and improving resilience.

With inflationary pressures, rising energy costs, and shifting consumer behaviors shaping the 2026 landscape, margin-protecting initiatives are essential for stability. They do more with less while keeping resources available for growth initiatives. Look to fund at least one efficiency play next year.

6. Managed Services & Predictable Pricing

What it is: Using qualified vendors to outsource routine operations or supplementing your staffing for short-term projects.

Why it’s important: Shifts capex to predictable opex, frees internal teams for strategy, and reduces surprises in budgeting.

Expected ROI: Figures vary by project, but outsourcing lets telcos upsize their capacity without a long-term commitment, giving access to expertise without the expense and commitment of full-time staff.

7. OSS/BSS Modernization & Cloud-Native Automation

What it is: Upgrading legacy OSS/BSS to API-driven, cloud-native systems for faster billing, provisioning, and orchestration.

Why it’s important: Old systems slow product launches and inflate costs. Modernization enables quicker promotions, bundling, and cross-channel consistency. (McKinsey)

Expected ROI: McKinsey has found operators see up to 30% faster time-to-market and 15–20% OPEX savings when adopting modern IT paradigms.

8. Cybersecurity, Fraud Prevention & Returns Validation

What it is: Systems for identity verification, serialized sales tracking, and payment security.

Why it’s important: Digital growth brings fraud risk. Protecting transactions safeguards revenue and reputation.

Expected ROI: Dialzara estimates global fraud losses could reach $5.4 trillion in 2025; even modest prevention can yields millions in saved margins.

Strategic Bets: Prepare for the Next Wave

Strategic bets are the forward-looking investments that position telcos for long-term relevance and success. They often come with uncertain short-term ROI, but the upside can be transformative.

In 2026, that means taking measured steps into areas like AI, 5G, and edge computing - domains that will define the next phase of telecom. Waiting too long risks ceding competitive ground to faster-moving rivals. Even a small budget set aside for carefully designed pilots tied to measurable outcomes can create momentum and ensure you’re ready for the future.

9. Generative AI, AI Agents & Automation

What it is: AI assistants for customer service, frontline support, and content automation.

Why it’s important: Reduces handle time, cuts service costs, and unlocks productivity.

Expected ROI: Verizon’s Google Gemini AI reduced call times and boosted sales by 40% across 28,000 staff.

10. 5G Monetization, Edge Computing & B2B Platforms

What it is: Targeted 5G services, like private networks, IoT, and edge compute solutions for enterprises.

Why it’s important: Consumer 5G growth has plateaued. Real margins lie in B2B and vertical-specific services. Invest in solutions geared for this space.

Expected ROI: Juniper Research expects total 5G service revenues, incorporating enterprise offerings, to reach nearly $270 billion by 2025, emphasizing enterprise sectors as key drivers of 5G profitability.

The Takeaway

The winning telcos in 2026 will accelerate their revenue, protect their margins, and make strategic bets - all at the same time. Have you started planning for 2026? Pick initiatives that show ROI today, while keeping one eye on tomorrow. The companies that succeed will not just survive - they’ll thrive.