Partner Soumen Ganguly discusses how the 5G wireless business case has evolved, noting that while many anticipated new revenue streams from emerging use cases like drones and AR/VR, these have yet to scale as expected. Instead, Soumen explains that 5G’s primary impact so far has been enabling carriers to deliver increasing data volumes more efficiently, helping them maintain margins and manage capital expenditures. He suggests the industry is now entering a new phase where advanced capabilities, including AI, may finally unlock the next wave of 5G-driven innovation.
How Altman Solon can help
Altman Solon helps telecom operators, infrastructure providers, and investors translate the evolving 5G business case into clear priorities, improving unit economics today while positioning for the next wave of innovation.
- Network economics and efficiency strategy: Define how to sustain margin and manage capital expenditures as data volumes rise, grounded in a fact-based view of performance, cost efficiency, and the operational realities of increasingly complex wireless infrastructure.
- Innovation and growth from emerging capabilities: Identify where advanced capabilities, such as AI, edge computing, and IoT, can realistically enable new services and revenue streams, and shape the path from concept to scalable impact.
- End-to-end advisory across strategy, operations, and investment support: Support decisions across the telecom value chain with deep sector expertise and strong technical understanding, bringing clarity to major strategic choices and high-impact transactions.
About Altman Solon: Telecommunications
Altman Solon is the world’s largest strategy consulting firm focused exclusively on telecommunications, media, and technology (TMT). In telecommunications, we support telecom operators, infrastructure providers, and investors with diligence and value creation across the deal lifecycle, grounded in deep sector expertise, commercial insight, and technical fluency.
Who we work with
- Integrated telecom operators (fixed and mobile)
- Fiber and fixed digital infrastructure providers (including FiberCos and wholesalers)
- Tower and mobile infrastructure players (including TowerCos and shared-network models)
- Data center operators and hyperscaler ecosystem participants
- Equipment, engineering, and construction services providers
- Infrastructure funds, private equity, growth investors, lenders, distressed investors, and hedge funds
- Investment screening and market landscaping (market dynamics, risks, and opportunity sizing)
- Commercial due diligence (positioning, plan realism, and resilience for buy-side and sell-side mandates)
- Technical due diligence (infrastructure, systems, and technology implications for the investment thesis)
- Portfolio optimization and value creation planning (growth and performance initiatives post-close)
- Post-merger integration and 100-day planning (integration strategy and execution priorities)
- Exit strategy and equity story development (positioning and readiness for the next transaction)
