As telecom companies hit speed bumps in the race to develop the industry’s next big growth engine, it’s becoming increasingly clear to executives that long-term value creation will depend not just on top-line growth but also on meaningfully bending their cost curve.

Although some telecom operators have delivered strong returns to shareholders in recent years, most of the industry has struggled to consistently create shareholder value. In addition, telecom companies are defending against significant disruption as the landscape rapidly evolves. The mobile market has reached a saturation point. Pay TV is facing secular decline. Opportunities for growth, such as enterprise services, are largely being offset by challenges to the legacy business, including connectivity alternatives. Many telecom operators have also struggled to capture market share or profits in new lines of business such as IT services and adjacent sectors.

Recognizing these revenue roadblocks, US telecom companies have announced substantial cost-reduction commitments. However, these cuts will not free up nearly enough cash flow to generate the additional shareholder value these companies have targeted. Based on our analysis of major US telecom operators’ current plans, by 2028 there will be a $28 billion gap between their estimated free cash flow and the amount required to achieve their aspirational stock prices (see Figure 1). This cash flow gap equates to 5% to 8% of major telecom operators’ annual spending.

Figure 1

With growth becoming more difficult to achieve, closing the gap will almost certainly require taking a more holistic, bolder approach to boosting operational efficiency and reining in costs. Some wireless carriers and cable operators, heeding their CFOs’ calls to reduce costs by approximately 5% to 10% in each of the last few annual budget seasons, have made uniform cuts companywide. Unfortunately, this broad approach simultaneously hurts parts of the organization where increased spending could spur growth and misses opportunities for transformative cost reductions in other areas.

The free cash flow gap is not only a challenge but also a signal that new approaches are essential. By embracing advanced technologies and rethinking operational design, telecom operators have an opportunity to reshape their businesses, free up more cash to fund growth investments, and position themselves as industry leaders. The most successful companies will move quickly to reset the industry’s baseline for cost competitiveness, leaving less assertive peers at a significant disadvantage.

There’s precedent for embracing more nimble cost structures. We need only look to Europe, where the competitive dynamics and intensity have long rewarded a fervent focus on cost.

Pathways to efficiency: Operational levers for success

Closing the cash flow gap requires a strategic overhaul in how wireless and cable operators manage their operations. Rather than focusing on incremental adjustments, leading companies are making their business offerings and operations simpler, more streamlined, digital-first, and tailored to each customer segment’s needs.

Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly be an important part of the solution. Bain’s research suggests that implementing AI tools could increase telecom companies’ workforce productivity by 15% to 25% over the next three to five years across core business functions.

But AI alone isn’t the answer. Tried-and-true techniques of streamlining organizations and empowering the front line will prove crucial, too.

Here are some of the strongest opportunities.

Networks: Modernized design, deployment, and operations

Network architectures are transitioning from rigid, legacy frameworks to modular, energy-efficient designs powered by advanced technologies such as AI and 6G. This shift supports smarter, nimbler network planning geared more toward customer needs, with AI- and cloud-enabled systems that can scale more seamlessly.

Field operations remain one of the largest cost centers for telecom companies, largely due to the high reliance on manual troubleshooting and on-site support. By leveraging AI-powered predictive maintenance and self-healing network technologies, operators can reduce reliance on costly truck rolls. Remote diagnostics and proactive issue resolution help ensure problems are addressed before they disrupt the customer, enhancing service reliability while reducing field service costs.

IT: Scalable, secure, and streamlined

Leading telecom operators are migrating from monolithic, proprietary IT architecture to modular, public cloud-based systems with the ability to use open-source and low-code tools. Unified analytics platforms are replacing fragmented data systems. This shift brings increased agility, efficiency, collaboration, and flexibility, allowing operators to scale IT resources up or down as needed.

Moreover, companies are changing their historically reactive and outsourced models for IT security and operations to more proactive and automated approaches. By embedding security into design and embracing multicloud management, companies ensure robust protection while simplifying IT processes.

Sales and marketing: Digital-first, customer-centric, and simplified

As customers increasingly embrace digital interactions, telecom firms have an opportunity to enhance engagement while reducing costs. Emerging leaders are simplifying their product offerings, moving away from complex, bundled products toward modular packages that are tailored to customer preferences and offer personalized pricing. AI-based tools are playing a pivotal role by enabling these hyperpersonalized customer engagements at scale.

Companies are also reducing their reliance on physical retail spaces and traditional call centers as they embrace seamless, digital-native experiences that align with customers’ growing desire to use online channels. The keys will be meeting customers where they are (i.e., personalized interactions taking place in the desired channels), minimizing complexity, and delivering the right communications in the right sequence.

Customer service: Proactive, personalized, and more efficient

The future of customer service in the telecommunications industry is AI-enabled agents, and we see three areas of transformation. First, AI-powered platforms can proactively identify problems, alert customers, and resolve issues (e.g., identify performance issues of in-home hardware and recommend an upgrade). Second, for call centers, bots can provide the first touchpoint for customers, helping answer simpler questions so that human agents are reserved for more complex cases. Human agents’ efforts can be supported by advanced tools that provide coaching or guidance based on analysis of historical activity and customer sentiment interpretation. Third, telecom companies are starting to apply predictive analytics of customer churn to focus on better serving customers at risk of switching to competitors. Across telecommunications and other industries, these early customer service applications are increasing efficiency by 30% to 50% and leading to better outcomes.

Similar to sales and marketing, personalization will also be a key differentiator for customer service. By utilizing AI to deliver tailored experiences, telecom operators are building stronger relationships with customers and fostering brand advocacy while increasing efficiency. Simplified, digital-first customer journeys ensure convenience and maintain high service standards.

Operations: Leaner and more empowered

Some carriers outside the US have managed to make their general operations much leaner, in part by employing basic tactics that have a long track record across industries, such as streamlining reporting structure and better enabling the front line.

Now, AI and other technologies are opening new doors to efficiency by streamlining repetitive tasks and administrative processes. AI-powered tools can enhance productivity in back-office functions, potentially reducing costs by as much as 20%. Modernized enterprise resource planning (ERP) and human resources (HR) systems provide further efficiencies, freeing up resources for strategic growth initiatives and allowing companies to focus on upskilling talent to propel digital transformation.

Centralization of support functions, combined with offshoring or nearshoring strategies, can also reduce overhead while ensuring seamless execution.

Moving forward with confidence

For US telecom companies, this moment is a rare opportunity to transform. The cash flow gap is a reminder that innovation is essential. It’s also a catalyst for adopting technologies and strategies that will deliver future growth while enhancing service, flexibility, and resilience.

Incremental changes won’t suffice. Operators that act decisively to leverage these efficiencies will not only bridge their cash flow gaps but also secure a stronger, more competitive market position. Organizational change of this scale certainly won’t be easy or happen overnight, but the path forward is clear and the tools for transformation are readily available. Now is the time for telecom operators to step up, seize the opportunity, and define a new standard of efficiency and innovation in the industry.