TelecomTV’s DSP Leaders Council is a hand-picked group of ~100 industry experts (including moi) that weighs in regularly on the state of the telco industry. A recent survey of Council members on the topic of Digital Support Systems (DSS) revealed that operators are grappling with mixed feelings about AI, with some dragging their feet on AI adoption, and others racing toward an AI-driven future. Today, I’m talking about the survey findings with TelecomTV Editorial Director Ray LeMaitre. We dig into where telcos are making progress, what’s holding them back, and what needs to happen to spark industry-wide AI transformation. And you know with Ray—it’s not a conversation unless we talk about COFFEE! Listen now to hear:

• The good news about operators and startup BSS solutions [4:40];
• Why the habit of waiting to be "ready" for change might leave slow-moving telcos on the sidelines [8:20];
• The shocking percentage of telcos that don’t see AI as essential to their future [10:24]; and
• Plans for the DSP Leaders Council and survey topics going forward [13:49].

Links and Resources

• Learn more about TelecomTV’s DSP Leaders Council and its DSP Leaders Reports.
• Read my blog about the DSS report findings, 3 key takeaways from TelecomTV’s DSS report—one will surprise you.
• When Ray and I first met, I compared myself to Daenerys Targaryen from the blockbuster TV series Game of Thrones, because let’s face it, sometimes you need to walk through fire to get stuff done in telco. Check out this scene when Daenerys becomes the mother of dragons (warning: explicit scenes, but it’s epic so I’m putting in the show notes anyway!).
• If you’re like Ray and love dark-roasted, Latin American coffee, check out this video about the best way to brew it.
• Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
• You can find the episode transcript here.

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This week’s guest

Ray Le Maistre was appointed Editorial Director at TelecomTV in April 2020. He has been an editor and journalist covering the telecoms sector for 29 years, previously as Editor-in-Chief at Light Reading, where he worked for 18 years. He is based in the UK, owns too many flowery shirts, and will bore you to tears on the topics of films, football, and coffee if you give him half a chance.

Podcast Credits

• Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios, TelcoDR
• Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
• Senior Editor/Brand Manager: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
• Audio Editor: Andrew Condell
• Supervising Producer: Amanda Avery
• Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
• Music: Dyami Wilson