A think tank for telcos, our Center for Telco Networks helps operators tackle—and master—the technical, business, and financial issues around 5G. By bringing together players from across the 5G ecosystem, the Center fosters the collaboration—and innovation—that sparks new use cases and business models.
Our Approach to 5G Technology
Designing a 5G-Ready Organization. Partnerships, cross-functional teamwork, developing 5G business opportunities quickly and efficiently: all require a more agile, collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset—and organization. Our 5G consultants develop the roles, ways of working, and culture that foster innovation, experimentation, and collective action. And we make it all stick through robust change management.
Identifying 5G Use Cases
Already, 5G brings much to the table, such as extreme mobile broadband and superior fixed wireless access. More is coming, including 5G capabilities like ultralow latency and network slicing—carving multiple virtual networks, optimized for specific applications, out of a single physical network. These advances enable compelling new 5G business opportunities. We help companies identify the right path for their circumstances, market, and goals.
Maximizing Monetization
If telcos are to cost-effectively deploy and continually improve 5G networks, they need to think carefully—and innovatively—about monetization. But it’s not just about funding the journey. Emerging 5G tech opens the door to new business models and revenue streams, enabling telcos to venture—and profit—outside the core. Our 5G consultants help zero in on the most promising near-term and longer-term opportunities.
Developing a Cross-Functional Operating Model
There is no one-size-fits-all 5G. Different use cases and geographic regions are served best by different network features. And each permutation comes with its own tradeoffs, timelines, and price tag. This interplay between strategy, 5G technology, and cost requires close collaboration among commercial, network, and finance functions. We help telcos adopt a cross-functional approach.
Pursuing Partnerships
There are a lot of layers to 5G use cases. Using 5G in business requires network, data, and industry-specific expertise and resources. While 5G can be a route to growth, it’s not a route you’ll take alone. Our 5G consulting experts help develop and embed the approaches that make working with partners and digital ecosystems second nature.
Designing a 5G-Ready Organization
Partnerships, cross-functional teamwork, developing 5G business opportunities quickly and efficiently: all require a more agile, collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset—and organization. We help companies develop the roles, ways of working, and culture that foster innovation, experimentation, and collective action. And we make it all stick through robust change management.
Our Client Impact in 5G Technology
Our 5G consultants have helped telcos deploy networks more efficiently and leverage novel technologies and architectures (such as O-RAN). We work with players across the 5G ecosystem, such as tower companies, and partner with industry leaders to identify compelling 5G use cases and business models. Here are a few examples of our work:
Creating a Near-Term 5G Launch Plan for a European Mobile Operator
To help our client develop a near-term strategy while positioning itself for the future, we took a multiphase approach. First, we reached a common understanding of the timing, technical requirements, and costs of 5G capabilities. We then analyzed the monetization potential of different offerings and the prerequisites for getting them to market. This let us develop business-case scenarios, including investment thresholds, timing estimates, and rollout options. And it let our client identify—and pursue—the optimal launch plan, implementing the first 5G commercial rollout in its country.
To help our client develop a near-term strategy while positioning itself for the future, we took a multiphase approach. First, we reached a common understanding of the timing, technical requirements, and costs of 5G capabilities. We then analyzed the monetization potential of different offerings and the prerequisites for getting them to market. This let us develop business-case scenarios, including investment thresholds, timing estimates, and rollout options. And it let our client identify—and pursue—the optimal launch plan, implementing the first 5G commercial rollout in its country.
Taking a Geospecific Approach to Optimizing a Fiber and FWA Strategy. For a telco active in several developing countries, the question—and the challenge—was about balance. Where should the company prioritize a fiber rollout? Where should it focus on fixed wireless access (FWA)? To strike the right balance, we assessed mobile traffic growth, network upgrade costs, and commercial potential on a microgeographic level. We developed a nuanced rollout strategy, one that prioritized fiber and FWA in just the right places. And we were even more nuanced in our approach—for example, by identifying where the telco should stress FWA as a bridge until it completed a fiber rollout.
Helping an Asia-Pacific (APAC) telco accelerate the variety of device usage in the 5G era. Teaming experts from our telco and technology advantage practices as well as BCG Platinion, we helped the product division of a leading APAC telco develop and pilot new service offerings to accelerate the variety and usage of 5G devices. Through these pilots, the client gained insights on how best to execute a full-scale launch. Our holistic approach enabled us to hone all aspects of service strategy and implementation, from concepts and value proposition to organization and infrastructure design to marketing and operations.
Developing a 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) strategy for a US telecom operator. Our client—a leading US telco—saw 5G as a launching pad for new IoT services that could enable it to play, and prosper, outside its core business. But where, exactly, should the client focus? Our 5G consultants analyzed the full spectrum of IoT use cases, both in the US and globally, and interviewed customers to understand pain points and opportunities. We developed detailed playbooks for four potential plays—two vertical and two horizontal—and created a roadmap for moving forward.
Sparking next-gen B2B solutions for a national ISP and managed network services provider. Looking to triple its revenues within five years, our client wanted to assess whether 5G could spur new services—and new income streams. We examined the company’s strengths, such as its ownership of some advantageous spectrum assets, and how they could be used to create differentiated offerings to meet emerging needs. This let us prioritize the most promising opportunities: the industry verticals and use cases where our client could stand out and stand ahead. Then we identified the partnerships, operating model changes, and capability building to make it all work.
Leading contract negotiations for a European telco. After our client—a fixed and virtual mobile network operator in Europe—acquired 5G spectrum, it sought to launch a state-of-the-art 5G greenfield network. Doing so required working with an array of vendors across active, passive, and transmission domains. We created and led the project management office for passive infrastructure. In this role, we negotiated with multiple tower companies, facilitated shareholder buy-in and board approvals, defined technical procedures and governance, and ensured competitive pricing and flexible commercial terms.
Our 5G Technology Resources
We don’t just promote cross-functionality—we take that approach ourselves. Our 5G consultants are supported by a global network of experts who specialize in an array of technical and functional areas, from agile ways of working and talent development to digital network transformation and IT implementation. Our key 5G resources include:
- BCG X. Our tech build and design unit, helps companies invest, launch, build, and scale—turning promising 5G use cases into proven businesses.
- BCG Platinion. How will 5G transform business? With over 700 digital, data, and technology experts, BCG Platinion delivers the platforms, digital products, and IT architectures that let companies show exactly how transformative 5G can be.
Center for Telco Networks
Our Insights on 5G in Business
Video
July 14, 2020
How Mobile Operators Can Profitably Deploy 5G Technology
To capture 5G’s full benefits, operators must key their capex investments to how customers will actually use the network.
Article
February 23, 2024
Telcos’ five-year performance record in terms of total shareholder return and value creation is below average—but an analysis of the top-ranked players shows how companies can overcome the industry’s challenges.
Focus
February 2, 2021
The mobile networks could add as much as $1.7 trillion to the economy through 2030, with benefits spread broadly across industries and regions.
Article
April 17, 2023
By adding spectrum capacity, fostering innovation, and upgrading its workforce, the US can strengthen its lead in mobile communications—and increase its economic growth by more than $1.4 trillion by 2030.
Meet Our 5G Consulting Experts
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