Data and the Internet of Things are giving rise to a more notable group of influential companies in water: Telecommunications firms. By providing the essential “rails” for data transmission and connectivity between utility systems, assets, and companies, telecoms are poised to increasingly leverage their unique positions at the center of the digitization of water.

While utility needs vary, municipal water utilities and industry become more sophisticated in their adoption of digital solutions, telecoms also see it as an opportunity to capture new sources of revenue – as their core services become commoditized.

As Bluefield’s Digital Water team wrap-ups their analysis for an upcoming report, Connecting Water Infrastructure: Telecom Company Strategies in the Global Digital Water Market, they present key findings of their telecoms research in this discussion.

1. What is the role of telecoms in water today?
2. How do water utilities, in particular, use telecom services?
3. How are they positioned strategically?
4. What does the competitive landscape look like?

Reese shares his thoughts on recent news and highlights why these headlines matter and what they could mean for the water sector.

• Culligan International, the consumer-focused water solutions and services company, is being acquired by another PE firm, BDT Capital Partners for US$6 billion.
• Core & Main, with US$3.4 billion in revenue, is ready to go public itself, a big move that has been in the works for four years.
• GS Inima, a water treatment company headquartered in Spain, was acquired by GS E&C in 2011 and became a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2019, is now heading into an IPO.