What are the key trends you’re seeing in the telecoms industry as we hit the second half of the 2020s?
A relentless focus on the customer will continue to be essential for success in the second half of the decade. Key trends also include the expansion of 5G, the rise of AI, edge computing and IoT, cybersecurity concerns and continued investment in fibre expansion.
This is all paving the way for new applications and services, promising even more advanced connectivity. Telecoms providers are exploring ways to monetise these investments and leverage creative partnerships to capitalise on new opportunities.
How would you summarise the main challenges and opportunities that wholesale providers face right now?
One big challenge is acting quickly to keep up with rapid change, while both established players and new entrants compete strongly for market share.
Telecom providers need to assess how to keep the pace as they migrate from legacy systems, and invest in data analytics and AI models to better understand customer behaviour. At the same time, they have many opportunities in AI, as well as in 5G, IoT and providing high-bandwidth services.
How is Verizon Partner Solutions [VPS] meeting these challenges and making the most of opportunities?
At VPS, we focus on understanding customer needs and improving their experience through personalised services and innovative technologies.
To this end, we host our annual Partner Summit, an event attended by 200-plus wholesale partners at which we both showcase our offerings and gain valuable feedback on customer needs. We also provide the VPS Exchange platform, which is a bedrock for improving users’ digital experience.
Furthermore, we offer a service portfolio to suit wide-ranging demands, including multiple fibre-based services and offerings from fixed-wireless access to IoT and private networks.
Meanwhile, Verizon’s AI Connect services, supported by transport connectivity through products like wave and dark fibre technologies, provide robust support for the generative-AI traffic and ecosystem of the future.
How key are partnerships to VPS in the current wholesale landscape?
Partnerships are crucial for VPS, enabling us to expand our reach and leverage specialised expertise, as well as tap into new markets that we may not be able to reach on our own.
Apart from partnerships with carriers, examples include collaborations with players in industries like healthcare, manufacturing and education, partnerships to provide managed security services, and collaborations with industry organisations like the Global Leaders’ Forum, MEF and TM Forum to develop standardisation and interoperability across the industry.
Partnerships to drive digital transformation for better customer experience are also paying off. In 2024, for example, we saw approximately 16,000 install orders submitted via our Exchange service, far more than doubling year-on-year.
How do you see VPS’s market standing today, and how is it approaching the rest of 2025 and beyond?
Our global private IP network spans over 150 countries, providing broad scale and reach to support businesses of all sizes among customers from carriers to ISPs and content providers.
In 2025 and beyond, we’re committed to ensuring that customers stay connected wherever they are, leading with innovation and customisation, and continuing to expand our network. This will be supported by the refresh of our brand that was initiated in June 2024, as part of the broader strategy to reposition Verizon as a one-stop shop for internet and entertainment.
In line with the theme of Verizon Business for this year, our activities set us up to ‘go beyond’ in 2025, as we continue to push new boundaries in the telecoms sector.
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