Poor network data delays telecom deals & activations

IQGeo has published survey findings showing that poor network asset data is disrupting telecom operators' service activations, operations and merger activity. The research covered 500 senior telecom decision-makers in the US, Canada and the UK.

Only 13% of respondents said more than three-quarters of their network records were accurate, and every operator surveyed reported some business impact from inaccurate physical network data over the past year. Project and service activation delays were the most common effect, cited by 71% of respondents.

The findings also point to a link between data quality and dealmaking. Some 78% said the quality of network asset data had a critical or major influence on valuations during mergers and acquisitions, suggesting weaknesses in network records can affect both operational planning and corporate transactions.

Nearly half of operators, 48%, said they still use paper notes in the field before information is manually entered into digital systems. A further 24% said spreadsheets, CAD files or paper-based documentation remain their primary system for managing network records.

That reliance on manual processes sits alongside weak verification practices. While 90% of operators require engineers to take photographs of completed infrastructure work, only 11% verify those images, and just 31% said they were confident the work had been completed to the required standard.

Ageing systems

The survey found the average network management system is 13 years old, highlighting a gap between newer network investment and the tools used to record, track and update physical infrastructure data.

Updating records also remains slow. Only 7% of respondents said network updates happen immediately after field work is completed, while 49% said updates are made within one week. Data silos, poor systems integration, data synchronisation issues and manual processes were cited as the main causes of delay.

Operators using a single integrated geospatial system reported faster updates to their system of record, taking an average of 4.5 days, compared with 5.3 days for those using multiple systems.

The study suggests operators increasingly see artificial intelligence as a way to address these problems. Fixing physical network data ranked as the top issue they want AI to solve, ahead of predictive maintenance and network optimisation, while 63% said they are targeting autonomous networks by 2030.

Use of visual AI for field work verification varied across markets. It was the leading verification method in the UK, where 72% of respondents used it, and in Canada, where the figure was 71%. In the US, that fell to 45%.

Commercial pressure

The results indicate that the consequences of poor data extend beyond internal efficiency. In a market where operators are managing upgrades, repairs and consolidation, incomplete or inaccurate records can affect assessments of network capacity, future investment requirements and asset values.

The research also linked better network records to environmental and cost pressures. Some 91% of respondents said improved physical network data would help reduce construction and maintenance rework, while 92% said it would improve use of existing infrastructure and reduce the need to overbuild.

Environmental considerations are also rising on board agendas. The survey found that 94% of respondents believe ESG requirements will shape telecom network operations over the next five years.

Two-thirds of respondents held senior management- or board-level roles, and 82% worked at operators serving more than one million subscribers. The respondent base included fibre, fixed broadband, mobile, integrated and wholesale operators.

David Cottingham, Chief Technology Officer at IQGeo, said: "Operators, AI systems, investors and acquirers all need accurate, complete records of the physical network to make decisions. This research shows most operators are a long way from that. Systems are ageing, records are split across multiple platforms, and changes in the field are still taking days to flow back to the system of record. I think it's very telling that, when we asked operators where AI could deliver the most value, the number one answer was improving the accuracy of their records, ahead of predictive maintenance and network optimisation. Operators are recognising that physical network data is the foundation for the next wave of telecoms transformation and consolidation."