Over the next 20 years, the telco industry will radically change as we move the entire IT estate to the public cloud to use AI. Are you ready? Telco in 20 helps telecom execs drive transformative change through the savvy use of public cloud and AI. Host Danielle Rios and high profile guests from across telecom share their vision for the industry’s future, the impact of artificial intelligence, and what telcos need to do to thrive.
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Ep 101 - Anthropic’s BIG PLANS for telco (Neerav Kingsland)
Episode 101
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 • Duration 20:11
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries at breakneck speed, with new capabilities emerging almost daily. As telcos race to harness its potential, questions around ethical use, safety, and practical implementation loom large.
In this episode, I dive deep into the world of AI with Neerav Kingsland, head of business development at Anthropic, makers of the AI model Claude. The company is known for its use of "constitutional AI”—an approach that builds ethical guardrails into its AI systems. Listen now to hear:
Why Anthropic's approach is centered on ethical AI behavior [04:04];
The company’s work with SK Telecom to create an “AI-first” telco [09:45];
The potential for AI to dramatically improve personalized marketing [12:03]; and
Just how powerful AI models will become in the next few years [14:11].
The Telco in 20 podcast won 2024 and 2022 Hermes Awards, 2023 and 2022 MarComm Awards, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
This week’s guest
Neerav Kingsland is the head of business development at Anthropic. Prior to Anthropic, he was an executive coach to founders working on AI safety. Before working in AI, Neerav was the Managing Partner of City Fund, a national philanthropic organization backed by Reed Hasting, Steve Ballmer, and John Arnold. City Fund was created to scale the strategies that helped transform New Orleans public schools after Hurricane Katrina, where Neerav was a key leader. He is a graduate of Tulane University and Yale Law School.
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios, TelcoDR
This podcast has hit a major milestone—the 100th episode! Can you believe it? Did you know that only 7% of all podcasts make it to this number?
We've talked cloud, crushed myths, and pushed boundaries for 100 straight. But we're just getting started. I’ve dropped an episode every two weeks over the last four years, and during that time I've witnessed a dramatic shift in telcos’ attitude towards public cloud adoption. This special episode revisits key moments on the journey that highlight just how far we've come. Let’s celebrate the progress we've made together! Listen now to hear:
How sentiment about the public cloud has moved from deeply skeptical to optimistic [02:59];
The groundbreaking moves made by major telcos like DISH, AT&T and Telefónica Germany [08:48];
Why moving network workloads may be the key to true public cloud transformation [13:29]
How Totogi deployed a cloud-based charging system for a tier-one telco in crisis—in just 18 days! [14:16]
Be sure to listen to the end for the super funny DR BLOOPER REEL!
Ep 91 - Exploring AIOps with Microsoft Azure (Jason Hogg)
Episode 91
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 • Duration 20:18
Microsoft has been quick to pick up the GenAI reins, making huge investments in OpenAI and strategic acquisitions like Inflection AI. Now, the hyperscaler wants to help telcos bring AI into their organizations in meaningful ways.
For this episode, I spoke with Jason Hogg, GM for AIOps within Azure for Operators, about where telcos are on their AI journey, how Microsoft is helping them prepare data for AI workloads, and how CSPs can steer their organizations to make the most of the AI revolution. Listen now to hear:
How Microsoft is helping telcos manage siloed data to support AI, both in the cloud and at the edge [03:21];
How AI tools like Azure OpenAI and Azure Operator Insights are being used in operations, fraud detection, and more [05:20];
The importance of moving beyond AI experimentation to putting AI models to work in the business [09:22]; and
Why telcos need to redesign their organizations to be AI-first [13:10].
Links and Resources
Jason talked about Microsoft’s work with 3UK to use Azure Operator Insights to break down silos and generate new insights. Check out this video overview here.
Ep 01 - It starts with...transformational leadership (Jim Abolt)
Episode 1
Monday, October 5, 2020 • Duration 15:16
Telco needs disruptive leaders with the courage to drive change. Find out what sets these trailblazers apart and why it takes big changes to big things to succeed.
Telco in 20 – Subscribe now!
0
Thursday, October 1, 2020 • Duration 01:01
You’ve found my podcast! Telco in 20 presents my vision for where the telco industry will be in 20 years and how savvy leaders will get there. New episodes, specifically for telco executives, drop every two weeks. Get the latest insights and best practices – and enjoy a few laughs!
Ep 90 - Ali Talks Tech with Totogi and Zain on Sudan's telecom crisis
Episode 90
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 • Duration 30:29
Last week at the NOVACOM 1-to-1 Telco Summit in Kenya, I connected with fellow podcaster Ali Hussein Kassim, host of Ali Talks Tech, which focuses on Africa’s changing tech landscape. We decided to record a joint episode about Totogi’s recent work with Zain to restore critical mobile services in Sudan after they were knocked out due to the ongoing civil war.
Abdalla Hamid, Director of IT at Zain Sudan, joined us to talk about how Totogi got Zain back up and running in just 18 days thanks to the power of the public cloud. Listen now to hear:
The dire situation Zain Sudan faced when it suffered a 40-day outage of essential services, and how Totogi helped it get back online [06:14];
The way Totogi's Charging-as-a-Service revolutionizes telco charging, lowering TCO by up to 80% and deploying in weeks instead of 6-18 months [16:07];
Why I’m supercharged about Totogi’s ability to transform the telco industry and help the world's unconnected [20:40].
How Totogi and Zain plan to move forward together, leveraging the latest AI tech in Africa—even on 2G networks! [23:39].
Ep 89 - What’s up with Totogi: The public cloud is perfect for Africa
Episode 89
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 • Duration 20:36
The hyperscalers are spending billions to build regions in Africa, setting the stage for the public cloud to revolutionize the continent’s telcos. With regulations easing and the number of affordable SaaS solutions growing, African telecoms are poised for an era of growth and success.
Are the continent’s telcos ready to make the most of all the public cloud offers? In this episode, I talk with Shay Assaraf, Totogi's chief marketing officer, about their progress with public cloud adoption and Totogi’s groundbreaking deal with Zain Sudan, a Tier 1 mobile network operator (MNO) in the region. Listen now to hear:
How all of the Big 3 hyperscalers are expanding their African footprint [04:57];
Examples of partnerships between African telcos and hyperscalers for connectivity, AI/ML, cloud computing and more [06:27];
Advice for navigating the continent’s data regulations and security concerns when adopting the public cloud [09:24]; and
How Totogi helped Zain Sudan to move off of its Ericsson charger in 18 days [15:03].
Ep 88 - Cloud CAPEX: Not for the faint of wallet (Charles Fitzgerald)
Episode 88
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 • Duration 21:46
If you’re partnering with one or more of the hyperscalers, their roadmap is your roadmap. It’s important to know where they’re steering their ships, and a great way to gain insight into this is to follow their CAPEX spending.
For this episode, I talk with Charles Fitzgerald, managing director at Platformonomics. His annual Follow the CAPEX report tracks spending by the Big 3 hyperscalers—Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud—and includes crystal-ball insights into their strategic plans and priorities. Listen now to hear:
How the hyperscalers spent money in 2023 and how their paths are diverging [02:10];
How AI strategy is affecting CAPEX spending [05:47];
The last word on whether cloud repatriation is really a trend [11:36]; and
Why it’s time for "clown providers" like IBM and Oracle to ante up or get out of the big top [16:59].
Ep 87 - Scaling telcos’ cloud mountain with Alianza (Brian Buetler)
Episode 87
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 • Duration 21:54
Despite having "as a service" in its name, traditional Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) deployments often fail to deliver on the promise of a true SaaS platform. One company, Alianza, has figured out a way to move UCaaS to AWS, offering a genuine SaaS solution that leverages the scalability and resilience of the public cloud.
I sat down with Brian Beutler, founder and CEO of Alianza, to discuss how his company is working to revolutionize the UCaaS landscape. Listen now to hear:
The challenges Alianza faced in moving UCaaS to the public cloud and how it overcame them [05:14];
How telcos’ mindset needs to shift to stay competitive with the evolving landscape [08:11];
The impact of Alianza's recent strategic collaboration with AWS on the future of enterprise communications [09:41]; and
Jimmy Chin’s advice for telco executives [16:55].
Links and Resources
Visit theAlianza website to learn more about the company.
Did you know that I bought a UCaaS company, too? TelcoDR affiliate Skyvera bought Kandy Communications in March 2023 and we’re modernizing the product suite for the public cloud.
In 2019, Jimmy Chin won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for "Free Solo.” Here’s the trailer for that movie, which is about how Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan, the famous 3,200 ft rock face in Yosemite National Park, without a rope.
Ep 86 - Reinventing BSS (MWC)
Episode 86
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 • Duration 18:40
Last week I gave my FOURTH keynote talk at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 when I opened the second annual MVNO Summit to a standing-room-only crowd of industry leaders. Most were from MNOs, MVNOs, and digital brands that want to be at the forefront of an AI-powered revolution in telco business support systems (BSS).
In my talk, I introduced a new AI-first, fully customized BSS solution that blends speed, scalability, and affordability to deliver a next-gen experience that streamlines operations and lowers costs. In the middle of it, I chatted with an avatar and created a BSS right on stage!
We captured the talk on video, and I’ve turned it into this podcast. Listen now to learn:
Why the emergence of two major innovations—AI and the public cloud—is disrupting incumbent vendors, leveling the playing field, and making this the perfect time for BSS innovation [03:13];
How the killer demo in my presentation demonstrates the power of an AI-first BSS solution [08:50]; and
Why Totogi’s BSS Magic is the future of telco BSS [16:57].
Listen now by clicking play above or subscribe through your favorite podcast platform—see the links in the right column above. You can find the transcript for this episode here.
Links and Resources
Check out the video version of my MVNO Summit talk. It’s the best way to see the Totogi avatar in action and get a sense of just how easy BSS Magic is to use!
Read my blog about why now is the time for telco to have the perfect BSS, all because of generative AI.
I still get questions about taking over Ericsson’s space at MWC 2021 and creating CLOUD CITY! It was AMAZING. I made the call about the public cloud coming to telco, and for the same reasons, generative AI is coming to telco, too.
Ericsson bailing on #MWC21 was a big mistake (HUGE!) that I pounced on—just like in Pretty Woman. Amazing how a little bit of money can really change your look.
While a lot of telcos are still ramping up their efforts to get to the public cloud, my buddy Elon Musk has his sights set on Mars and plans to get there in just two years! Check out this Starship launch, the fourth flight test attempting to go farther than any previous one.
Are you still here??? In the famous words of Ferris Bueller, GO HOME! IT’S OVER!
The Telco in 20 podcast won 2024 and 2022 Hermes Awards, 2023 and 2022 MarComm Awards, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios, TelcoDR
In late March, the Telecoms.com Podcast welcomed former Telco in 20 guest Shawn Hakl, Microsoft’s VP of 5G strategy, to talk about the public cloud and 5G. Listen to the conversation.
Take a look at this video of “Extreme Buddy Skiing.” It takes a lot of fear, anxiety, and planning to get to the moment where you can drop in on a face like the one they ski. It reminds me of what it takes to make big moves to use the public cloud and AI the right way!
The Telco in 20 podcast won a 2024 Gold Hermes Award, 2023 and 2022 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
This week’s guest
Jason Hogg is a General Manager responsible for the Azure for Operators (AfO) AIOps program, which includes Azure Operator Insights and Azure Operator Service Manager. Prior to AfO, Jason led the creation of the Azure Data Lake Storage platform and Azure Media Services’ AI based Video Analytics service. Jason has 30+ years of experience in software development, having spent the last 21 years at Microsoft where he has also worked in Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Research, and Developer Division. Jason holds a MSc (Comp Sci) from University of Washington.
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast, and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
This week’s guest
About Ali Hussein Kassim, Ali Talks Tech founder and host
Ali is a serial entrepreneur and a regular commentator and contributor on all things tech and the policy and regulatory landscape across Africa and beyond. He consults on digital transformation, and serves in leadership roles on public and private sector boards including Africa Fintech Network, Association of Fintechs in Kenya, and Kenya ICT Action Network. He enjoys mentoring and investing in tech entrepreneurs across Africa.
About Abdalla Hamid, Director of IT, Zain, Sudan
Abdalla Isamaldin Abdalla Hamid is a results-driven professional with 15+ years of experience in project management, business analysis, and digital transformation. As Director of Information Technology (IT), he aligns IT strategy with business goals and oversees IT operations. Abdalla's expertise encompasses BSS, project and program management, software development, automation, IT infrastructure and digital transformation. He holds an MBA and certifications in project management and service engineering.
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
Next week find me at Novacom’s 1-to-1 Telco Summit in Diani Beach, Kenya, running April 23 - 25. If you’ll be there too, shoot me a DM on Linkedin or X @TelcoDR so we can meet! I can’t wait to show you our game-changing Totogi platform.
As a sponsor of the Summit and in honor of the telco execs attending, Totogi has adopted the Kakuma Vocational Centre in a refugee camp in Kenya as part of our work with Unconnected.org. We’re funding a computer lab for students of all ages with localized learning software, safety training, and free internet access for two years.
Wanna see what’s going on with hyperscaler regions in Africa? Take a look at our Hyperscaler Regions Tracker, which tracks live and planned regions across the globe.
The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a TeckNexus Top 12 Telco and Tech Podcast, Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast, and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
This week’s guest
About Shay Assaraf
Shay is a seasoned tech B2B marketing executive with nearly 20 years of experience, specializing in positioning, go-to-market, product marketing and building growth marketing programs for disruptive technologies and practices. He currently serves as a CMO in Totogi where he is part of a leadership team aiming to help telcos monetize their networks through AI and the public cloud. He previously served as a CMO in Gentrack, Sapiens and Optiva, where he played a pivotal role in steering a significant strategic product and go-to-market shifts to enable growth through delivering value to customers and leveraging disruptive technologies and practices.
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
This week’s guest
About Charles Fitzgerald
Charles Fitzgerald is a Seattle-based angel investor, with a focus on developer platforms and infrastructure. Previously, he spent 20+ years working on platform businesses at Microsoft and VMware. He can see the cloud from his house.
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
This week’s guest
About Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is the founder and CEO of Alianza, the leading cloud communications platform for telco service providers. He is passionate about transforming the telecommunications industry by empowering service providers to deliver modernized, cloud-native core communications solutions to supercharge growth, simplify operations and reduce costs. Under Beutler’s leadership, Utah-based Alianza has forged a strategic collaboration agreement with AWS and counts Lumen Technologies, Brightspeed, Viasat and Xplore among its tier-one and nationwide customers.
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
The Telco in 20 podcast won 2022 and 2023 MarComm Awards, a 2022 Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!
Podcast Credits
Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR
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