Telecom Consulting Market Size & Share Analysis - Trends, Drivers, Competitive Landscape, and Forecasts (2024 - 2030)

Telecom Consulting Market Trends & Growth Drivers

Digital Transformation of Enterprises Is a Key Trend

• The surging digital transformation of enterprises is one of the key trends being observed in the telecom consulting industry.
• Digitization has changed the way organizations interact with customers and operate their internal processes.
• It also supports the IT infrastructure of the company in today’s world, which has resulted in competitive advantages and the success of businesses.
• Every industry, including banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), retail & e-commerce, and healthcare, now offers services such as digital payments, online portals, social media integration, and data sharing, thus resulting in a rising demand for advanced network setups.

Increasing Requirement for Strong Network Connectivity Drives the Market

• The rising requirement for strong network connectivity is one of the major factors contributing to the telecom consulting market growth.
• Strong network connectivity plays an essential role in the smooth functioning of large businesses, by supporting them in effectively communicating with customers and accessing enterprise data from anywhere with robust security standards.
• Moreover, in this era of digitization, companies are focusing on adopting new technologies, such as AI, the internet of things (IoT), and (ML), which has resulted in the development of cloud transformation telecom consulting.
• Further, leading telecom companies have adopted new-generation technologies to quicken up network expansion and reduce operational costs.
• For instance, the open radio access network (OpenRAN) architecture enables network operators to style and deploy 4G and 5G networks by integrating vendor-neutral software and hardware.
• This means that OpenRAN creates a chance for telecom operators to use software and hardware components sourced from many vendors. In 2021, OpenRAN has transformed the telecom industry and become the new normal.

Network Security Issue Is a Challenge

• Telecommunication networks are essential for conducting business and providing essential public services around the world. However, over the last decade, concerns have been raised over their security and ability to operate without disruption.
• Malicious attacks on telecommunication networks include thefts of network equipment and vandalism.
• Signal jamming is one of the biggest threats as it is possible to disrupt mobile and satellite signals with jammers, which transmit radio signals to interfere with them.
• Devices range from handheld jammers, which can send disrupting signals across tens of meters, to industrial-scale tools, which are able to disrupt signals up to 750 meters away.
• In addition, hardware and software failures are common in telecommunication networks.
• Poor planning, which results in telecommunications products not being maintained, and unavailability of replacement parts can be seen as serious threats to critical telecom infrastructure.
• Therefore, the threats to network security are constraining the telecom consulting market by hindering the industry growth.

Telecom Consulting Industry Analysis

Network Type Insights

• The wireless category is estimated to have held a larger share, of around 75%, in 2024 in the telecom consulting market, and it is also expected to witness the fastest growth in the coming years.
• This is primarily because of the flexible and adaptable nature of wireless networks, which means they are easy to transport and reinstall in another place.

Network types covered in the report include:

• Wireless (Larger and Faster-Growing Category)
• Wired

Service Insights

• The planning and consulting category is expected to witness the fastest growth in the market during the forecast period, advancing at a CAGR of around 13%.
• This will primarily be because consultants are well-versed in the latest technologies, analyze existing systems, and offer cost-cutting suggestions to telecom firms.

The following services are included in the report:

• Planning and Consulting (Largest and Fastest-Growing Category)
• Operations and Maintenance
• System Integration

Application Insights

• The cloud services category dominates the market, due to the increasing need for the agility and rapid scalability of software and applications, which are made possible by the cloud.
• Whereas, the unified communications category is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
• This will be because unified communication gives employees the ability to respond to customers no matter where they are. They are able to see incoming calls, chats, and emails from any device.

Applications covered in the report are:

• Cloud Services (Largest Category)
• Unified Communications (Fastest-Growing Category)
• Fault-Tolerant Ethernet (FTE)/Long-Term Evolution (LTE)/Fiber to the home (FTTH)/4G/5G
• Smart Grid
• Mobile Broadband

Regional Analysis

North America Is the Largest Market

• Geographically, North America leads the market, with an estimated revenue share of around 40% in 2024.
• This is attributed to the presence of major telecom consulting service providers, such as McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company Inc., Boston Consulting Group Inc., CGI Inc., and IBM Corporation, in the region.
• Moreover, this is due to the increase in demand for high bandwidths, rapid deployment of mobile networks, and rise in the adoption of cloud services in the region.
• The total number of fixed broadband subscriptions in the region is 136 million, which continues to increase, thereby leading to a high demand for consulting services among telecom companies seeking to expand their network and customer base.
• Whereas, Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the fastest-growing region in the telecom consulting market, owing to the rising demand for these services in India and China.
• Operators are continuously investing in improving their networks, in order to satisfy the demand for faster broadband access in both the consumer and business segments.
• In addition, several firms are increasing their investments in data security and cloud-based solutions.
• Fast-growing economies, such as China, India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, offer a huge chance to use managed outsourcing services to firms.

Further, regions and countries analyzed for this report include:

• North America (Largest Regional Market)
  • U.S. (Larger and Faster-Growing Country Market)
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany (Largest Country Market)
  • U.K. (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific (APAC) (Fastest-Growing Regional Market)
  • China (Largest Country Market)
  • Japan (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Rest of APAC
• Latin America (LATAM)
  • Brazil (Largest and Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Mexico
  • Rest of LATAM
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)
  • Saudi Arabia (Largest Country Market)
  • South Africa
  • U.A.E. (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Rest of MEA

Telecom Consulting Market Share

Market Nature – Highly Consolidated

The telecom consulting industry is highly consolidated in nature. The top five companies collectively held over 50% share in the market. Accenture PLC is the largest player, as the company works with the world’s leading organizations on digital transformation and to deliver sustainable stakeholder value. It uses technology, data, analytics, AI, and innovations to assist clients in growing and solving a diverse set of business challenges, in more than 150 countries. In recent years, major players in the industry have been involved in partnerships and collaborations in order to attain a significant position.

Telecom Consulting Market News

• In May 2024, Cognizant signed a five-year strategic partnership deal with an Australian telecom company Telstra, to enhance Telstra’s software engineering and IT capabilities.
• In May 2024, T-Mobile acquired Ka’ena Corporation, the parent company of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, the direct-to-consumer prepaid wireless brands, as well as the wholesale wireless provider Plum.
• In April 2024, Digital Catapult declared that its SONIC Labs initiative, which is focused on evolving OpenRAN technology, launched a new phase with the introduction of various international organizations into its program. These companies would utilize the newly founded outdoor testing facility in West London, exploring the benefits and practical applications of OpenRAN in a real-world setting.
• In November 2023, Vodafone announced a new partnership with Accenture, to commercialize its shared services operations.
• In March 2023, Tata Tele Business Services announced its partnership with MTI Consulting, to explore its future growth opportunities and direction.