Telecom operators are accelerating investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure as they look to diversify revenue beyond traditional connectivity services, according to the latest research from Omdia. The research identifies sovereign AI as the strongest near-term monetization opportunity while highlighting AI token-based subscription plans as a potential new consumer revenue model that could transform how AI services are sold and consumed.
As governments, enterprises and consumers increase demand for AI computing resources, telecom operators are positioning themselves as providers of secure AI infrastructure, cloud platforms and AI services. However, Omdia warns that operators will need to diversify beyond sovereign AI workloads to maximize utilization of expensive AI data center investments and achieve sustainable returns.
Sovereign AI Drives Global Telecom Investment
Omdia says AI infrastructure investment is expanding rapidly, particularly across Asia, with additional sovereign AI initiatives gaining momentum in Canada, Europe and the Middle East. Governments and enterprises are increasingly seeking localized AI infrastructure that complies with national data sovereignty, privacy and security regulations.
The research notes that while sovereign AI provides an attractive starting point for telecom operators, enterprises are expected to adopt a combination of sovereign and public AI workloads. This means operators must broaden their AI infrastructure portfolios beyond sovereign hosting to capture long-term growth opportunities.
Telecom Operators Build AI Infrastructure Businesses
Several telecom operators are already generating measurable business benefits from AI-related infrastructure investments.
According to Omdia’s previous research, SK Telecom generated approximately 4 percent of its revenue from its data center business during the third quarter of 2025 and plans to increase annual data center revenue to KRW 1 trillion by 2030.
Meanwhile, Ooredoo Group expects digital infrastructure to contribute 12 percent of total group revenue by 2030, compared with 3 percent in 2025, demonstrating the growing strategic importance of AI infrastructure.
Operators are adopting different business models to accelerate deployment. stc has established its dedicated AI infrastructure company Center3, while Iliad is expanding through Scaleway. Singtel is pursuing joint ventures, whereas SoftBank, SK Telecom and Ooredoo are integrating AI infrastructure into broader corporate transformation strategies, shifting investment priorities from traditional connectivity infrastructure toward AI platforms.
AI Token Plans Create New Consumer Revenue Model
Omdia believes consumer AI services represent the next major monetization opportunity for telecom operators.
Julia Schindler, Principal Analyst for Service Provider Strategy at Omdia, says sovereign AI currently offers the clearest business case for telecom AI infrastructure investment. At the same time, operators are increasingly evaluating AI token plans that could package AI computing as a metered utility bundled with mobile and broadband subscriptions.
Chinese telecom operators have already launched AI token subscription plans that allocate a monthly pool of AI computing credits. Subscribers can use these tokens across AI assistants, generative AI applications, coding tools and other AI-powered services.
Unlike conventional subscriptions, AI token plans allow customers to consume AI resources similarly to mobile data allowances, creating recurring revenue opportunities while encouraging wider adoption of AI services.
AI Infrastructure Financing Becomes Strategic Priority
While revenue opportunities are expanding, Omdia says financing AI infrastructure remains one of the telecom industry’s biggest strategic challenges.
AI infrastructure requires substantial long-term capital expenditure, forcing operators to either redirect investment from traditional network infrastructure or work with technology partners to reduce financial risk.
The research expects technology vendors, hyperscale cloud providers, infrastructure investors and equipment suppliers to play increasingly important roles through joint ventures, partnerships and co-investment models that lower capital requirements while accelerating AI infrastructure deployment.
Competition Moves Beyond Connectivity
Omdia notes that telecom operators are no longer competing only against rival carriers. Instead, hyperscale cloud providers are becoming major competitors in AI infrastructure.
To differentiate themselves, telecom companies are expected to leverage sovereign AI capabilities, localized data residency, edge computing assets, trusted national infrastructure and long-standing relationships with enterprise and government customers. Success will depend on securing anchor customers, maintaining high utilization of AI data centers and expanding AI service portfolios beyond infrastructure hosting.
AI Becomes Telecom’s Next Growth Engine
Omdia believes AI infrastructure represents the telecom industry’s next major investment cycle after 5G. As mobile ARPU growth slows and enterprise connectivity becomes increasingly commoditized, operators are using existing fiber networks, edge computing platforms and data centers to participate directly in the AI value chain.
Beyond providing GPU-as-a-Service, telecom operators are expanding into AI cloud platforms, sovereign AI hosting, inference infrastructure and enterprise AI solutions. Omdia concludes that operators capable of combining trusted connectivity, sovereign AI capabilities and innovative monetization models such as AI token plans will be best positioned to capture long-term growth in the rapidly expanding AI economy.
FASNA SHABEER
