Telecom
Ericsson, EY Study Maps Successful Mobile Operator Strategies
Ericsson and EY collaborate to identify three distinct strategies adopted by successful mobile operators, dubbed Frontrunners.
Successful operators share a common focus on network performance and customer experience; differentiation, innovation and technology approaches vary by strategy
Frontrunner revenues grew at 9.6 percent CAGR, their competitors at 2.7%, while average in markets with no Frontrunners is -1.4% (2010-2014).
With traditional revenues under pressure and mobile data use soaring, operators have been forced to evolve both their networks and their business models. Some have been more successful than others.
A study from Ericsson, in collaboration with Ernst and Young, has identified and classified these operators as Frontrunners.
Between 2010 and 2014, Frontrunners enjoyed a 9.6% CAGR while competitors in their markets achieved only 2.7%.
In undertaking this research, the results of which are launched today, Ericsson has identified three distinct strategies adopted by Frontrunners. Significantly, what is good for the end user is also good for the operator.
Frontrunner strategies include:
Quality-Led Progression: These Frontrunners differentiate through high-performing networks and high brand preference
Market-Led Adaptation: Includes Frontrunners that differentiate through quick adaptation to market conditions
Offering-Led Transformation: Refers to Frontrunners that differentiate by being first to market with uniquely designed offerings
The study also revealed a number of ways in which Frontrunners are similar including their views on connectivity and services as differentiators rather than commodities, and their focus on innovating new revenue streams rather than maximizing old ones.
Frontrunners display greater interaction between marketing and technical roles, rather than the traditional silos, and they leverage network performance by either utilizing superior network performance as a differentiator or by improving network performance to meet customer expectations.
Speaking on the development, Martin Sebelius, executive director of Nordic Advisory, EY, said: “We clearly see that despite their different strategies, frontrunner operators share a common commitment to network quality. Not surprisingly, Frontrunners constantly seek new ways of challenging industry conventions to make connectivity more relevant to people, business and society.”
Also, Stéphane Téral, research director, Mobile Infrastructure and Carrier Economics, Infonetics Research, now part of IHS Inc., said: “This is a well-reasoned study that helps operators in different markets answer the universal question of where to invest and generate returns. Operators are trying to keep up with the growth in data traffic while facing significant economic conditions, including flat-to-declining revenue in often saturated markets. As it provides a nuanced view drawing on a global scope, this study is exactly what is needed for operators to thrive in any market condition.
“In addition, mobile consumers are very savvy today and understanding what makes operators tick can help them make better decisions as to where to lock in their subscriptions — I think this study could be as interesting to consumers as it is to operators” .
On his part, Patrik Cerwall, head of Radio Strategic and Tactical Marketing, Ericsson, said: “We wanted to understand what makes operators successful in order to be the best partner to our customers. It may sound self-serving, but Frontrunners focus on growth, both enhancing the core business while at the same time exploring new markets and capabilities to secure future revenues, such as IoT (Internet of Things) and vertical solutions.
“The journey toward 5G in 2020 will be marked by both new technology advances and new business models, but that transformation really started with the shift from voice to data-driven networking. The operators who are managing that transition successfully may provide the blueprint for success in 5G,” Cerwall said.
Understanding these strategies can help more operators become Frontrunners. This may have a beneficial effect for all operators, as it appears that the presence of a Frontrunner in any given market benefits all operators in that market: peers of operators in markets with Frontrunners are growing at 2.7 percent while markets without Frontrunners have negative growth of 1.4 percent.
In 2013, most of the 12 identified Frontrunners were associated with the Quality-led strategy, leveraging their size and assets to deliver superior quality, and thereby achieve profitable growth. Market-led operators were in the minority and Offering-led operators had not yet joined the Frontrunner ranks.
In 2014, the number of Frontrunners increased to around 20 and included Offering-led operators. By 2015, it is projected that there will be 30 or more Frontrunners, with distribution between strategies starting to even out.
It is important to recognize that Frontrunners are not necessary market share leaders in their respective regions. In fact, in 2013, most Frontrunners were #3 by market position.
By 2015, it is projected that this, too, will even out with Frontrunners having representation across the top three market share positions.
Telecommunication companies have threatened to withdraw their Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD), services from banks over what they called misinformation.
MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile- the telcos disclosed that the banks’ notice to their customers on the new billing system and airtime deductions for USSD services was misleading.
Also, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) also denied that the directive was from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
USSD is done via shortcodes on mobile phones and allows bank customers to make transactions in places with limited or no internet service.
Recall that banks earlier this week claimed that NCC has directed them to begin charging them from their airtime rather than from customers’ accounts.
The notice from the banks read in part: “In line with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), please be informed that effective June 3, 2025, charges for USSD banking services will no longer be deducted from your bank account.
“Going forward, these charges will be deducted directly from your mobile airtime balance in accordance with the NCC’s End-User Billing (EUB) model.
“Under this new billing structure, each USSD session will attract a charge of ?6.98 per 120 seconds, which will be billed by your mobile network operator.
“You will receive a consent prompt at the start of each session, and airtime will only be deducted upon your confirmation and availability of the bank to fulfil this service.
“If you do not wish to continue using USSD banking under this new model, you may choose to discontinue use of the USSD channel.”
Reacting, ALTON, umbrella body of telecom operators in Nigeria, said the banks’ notice is a gross misinformation deliberately hatched to suit their selfish interests.
Hence they threatened to withdraw network support to the banks’ USSD services.
Engr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON told Vanguard: ” I don’t understand why the banks are twisting agreements and distorting information just to favour their selfish interests. In the first place, the information wasn’t a directive from the NCC but a joint regulatory agreement between the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN witnessed by the telcos and the banks. The agreement was that if the banks finally cleared all USSD debts owed to the telcos by June 2, 2025, they are free to migrate to the end-user billing method, so long as the model of migration is transparent and agreed upon by the telcos.
“The reason for that clause was because the telcos insisted that the process of migration is such that will not allow a customer to be billed twice; in other words, that a subscriber would not have his airtime deducted and also have his or her money deducted for same services from his or her bank account.
” As we speak, some of the banks have cleared their debts, but the majority are yet to do so. So, even if all the modalities of migrating to end-user billing have been perfectly carried out, the implementation cannot even begin because the banks are yet to clear the USSD debt owed to the telcos.
“Our position now is that if that is the way the banks want to treat the agreement, we may withdraw support for their USSD services. It is not a must-have. They can do without it. But, they should clear the debts as agreed,” he added.
MTN Nigeria has announced plans to embark on a massive capital expenditure (CAPEX) drive in 2025, committing nearly N900 billion to significantly enhance network service quality across Nigeria.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria,
The substantial investment, more than double the combined CAPEX of approximately N440 billion spent in 2023 and 2024, underscored MTN’s aggressive strategy to address persistent service quality issues and meet growing customer and regulatory expectations.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria, detailed this unprecedented financial commitment during a recent interview on Arise TV, emphasizing that improving service quality is the company’s paramount message for the year.
He highlighted a clear understanding and expectation from both the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and security agencies for improved network quality.
A primary focus of this increased CAPEX will be on putting additional capacity in a city like Lagos, particularly in Abuja, where you have a lot of buildings coming up, you need additional sites because there are coverage issues.
Beyond these critical urban centers, the investment aims to bolster network resilience and ensure power stability for its infrastructure nationwide.
This includes proactively addressing site outages by ensuring timely payment for operational necessities such as diesel for generators, a persistent challenge in the Nigerian operating environment.
Toriola outlined a comprehensive upgrade process, which involves placing orders formally, opening letters of credit, and then the equipment gets shipped in and installed.
He added that MTN will be acquiring new sites and laying fiber to the base station to create better stability” where necessary.
While the immediate CAPEX is geared towards improving existing service quality and capacity, this investment aligns with MTN’s broader goals of enhancing financial inclusion in underserved rural areas, suggesting a long-term vision for network expansion and service improvement that extends beyond metropolitan areas.
Subscribers can anticipate tangible improvements in service quality, with a significant improvement in quality of service expected by the end of the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2025, according to Toriola.
“This year is all going to be about capital expenditure on an aggressive basis to fix quality of service issues (and) meet both the regulators’ and the public’s expectations,” he affirmed, reiterating MTN’s steadfast focus on customer experience through substantial capital investment.
Telecom regulators and industry leaders from across the Middle East and Africa gathered in Cairo last week to chart a data-driven future for the region.
In a region where digital transformation is accelerating at unprecedented speed, connectivity intelligence firm, Ookla and Egypt’s National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) joined forces to organise the Telecommunications Regulatory Summit
Themed ‘Harnessing Data and Technology for Superior QoS’, the summit focused on how data, particularly crowdsourced insights, can transform regulatory strategies across the region.
The summit attracted stakeholders from over 30 countries, including delegates from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and World Broadband Association (WBBA), who engaged in high-level discussions on optimising network performance and accelerating digital inclusion.
Karim Yaici, lead industry analyst for the Middle East and Africa at Ookla, said the event set the tone for the growing value of data-driven decision-making.
“Access to and the use of crowdsourced data contribute to making more informed decisions, fostering transparency and ensuring that citizens in the MEA region benefit from high-quality, accessible and affordable connectivity,” he said.
The experts underlined that crowdsourced data is becoming a critical complement to traditional regulatory methods.
They agreed that it helps identify service gaps, prioritise infrastructure investments, and drive innovation.
With broadband speeds now closely tied to GDP growth and productivity, accurate performance data is seen as key to socio-economic advancement.
Dr. Hossam Abdel-Mawla, vice-president of technical affairs and quality of service at NTRA, stressed that the summit was pivotal in fostering regional collaboration.
“By actively sharing best practices and exploring innovative data-driven strategies, we are shaping a future where telecom regulations ensure digital inclusion and economic growth across the region,” he said.
In a key session, Ahmed Nabawy, director of client services at Ookla, presented findings on 5G performance in Egypt and Tunisia.
He demonstrated how Ookla’s unified data platform, powered by AI, enables operators to analyse 5G-capable device density and prioritise high-impact rollout areas.
The summit also explored the shift from conventional network quality metrics to more user-centric Quality of Experience models. These advanced analytics tools promise to enhance transparency, improve accountability, and ultimately deliver better connectivity experiences for all.
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