Unlocking a New Strategic Value

Telecom operators in the South Asia - Middle East - and North Africa (SA-ME-NA) region are, once again, at a critical juncture in their evolution and in re-establishing their central role in the ICT landscape. As the market undergoes significant transformation, they must now adapt to meet the demands of an increasingly digital world. Opportunities for growth no longer lie solely in traditional offerings but in emerging technologies relating to attaining greater intelligence and enabling intelligent decision-making, required for growing and sustaining the digital economies of the future.

Among the most significant of these opportunities is the rising demand for real-time video-data processing and analysis. Industries across sectors, especially healthcare, transportation, public safety, and industrial operations, are becoming increasingly reliant on visual data for critical decision-making. Cameras, drones, and sensors are continuously generating vast amounts of visual data, but without the right infrastructure to process and analyze this data in real-time, its full potential remains untapped.

Given a strategic convergence of three core technologies, i.e., 5G/5G-Advanced, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cloud-edge computing, telecom operators are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the video-data and visualintelligence demand. With their controlover critical infrastructure, such as frequency resources,lastmile connectivity, communications systems and expertise, and local data centers, they are well-equipped to provide the technological backbone required for efficient visual-data processing.Real-time transmission and analysis of high-bandwidth video feeds, as well as the ability to deliver AI-powered insights at the edge are now a reality, which is catalyzing new use-cases.

At the same time, regulatory dynamics and compliance requirements are also playing a key role in driving the demand for visual-intelligence services. Some countries are mandating the use of machine-vision systems for public safety, and the protection of critical infrastructure. These regulations have created a compliance-driven market where the capture, processing, and secure storage of visual data is no longer optional. Telecom operators are being pushed to innovate and provide secure, scalable solutions that meet these demands.

As the demand for machine-vision capabilities grows, the systems supporting visual intelligence also need to remain trustworthy and compliant. Telecom operators, with their established capabilities in data transmission and infrastructure, are in a prime position to support businesses and governments in meeting these requirements. Moreover, as the market for visual-data services continues to expand, telecom operators need to cement their role beyond traditional, and into another domain. Whether through AI-driven machine-vision offerings or through private 5G networks for enterprise clients, telecom operators can unlock new revenue streams and help enterprises across industries leverage visual intelligence for better decision-making and for attaining operational efficiencies.

Telecom operators in the SA-ME-NA region are uniquely positioned to take a leading role in the rapidly expanding visual-intelligence market. By investing in 5G infrastructure, cloud-edge computing, and AI-powered machine-vision, operators can tap into new opportunities, support creation of visual-intelligence systems in various industries, and strenghten their role as enablers of the region’s digital economy while transforming themselves as “techos”.