The Strategic Role of Telecom Providers Across the AI Value Chain 2026

Dedicated networks Dedicated networks provide secure, low- latency connectivity for enterprise and campus environments, delivered through private 5G or network slicing and paired with localized edge compute and integrated security. AI enhances these networks through predictive and autonomous operations19,20 and dynamic resource optimization, enabling assured performance for mission-critical use cases such as industrial automation, energy management, public safety and real-time analytics, delivered as managed or hybrid on-premises/edge services.Critical sectors requiring ultra-low latency and high reliability to support AI-driven automation and robotics drive demand, though market adoption is slower than initially forecast. While early deployments have demonstrated productivity gains,21 updated projections reflect a more gradual scale-up of the dedicated network market.22 Telcos’ right to play is anchored in control of licensed spectrum, network design and local edge infrastructure, capabilities that remain difficult for IT providers and hyperscalers to replicate. Monetization typically follows software- as-a-service (SaaS)-based models with tiered pricing aligned to enterprise performance and reliability requirements. Momentum depends on the pairing of AI-enabled operating models with next-generation network investment. CASE STUDY 4 Deutsche Telekom: from campus SLAs to API-based “quality-on-demand” Deutsche Telekom has deployed 5G campus networks with guaranteed service quality for hospitals, universities,23 ports and industrial sites across Germany and Europe, combining public and private 5G to deliver logically separated traffic, prioritized machine-to-machine communications and low- latency local processing for use cases such as augmented reality (AR)-assisted maintenance, digital twins and autonomous systems. Building on this foundation, Deutsche Telekom is scaling campus connectivity and monetizing network performance through standardized offerings and APIs. With Microsoft, it launched Campus Network Smart,24 a private 5G solution running on Azure Private MEC (Multi-access Edge Compute), which lowers adoption barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through pay-as-you-grow models and integrated edge workloads. In parallel, the operator is exposing network capabilities via APIs under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, including a quality- on-demand API that dynamically optimizes latency and performance. Together, these deployments demonstrate how operators can monetize AI-era connectivity as assured performance for specific, high-value use cases rather than undifferentiated bandwidth. The Strategic Role of Telecom Providers across the AI Value Chain 12