The telecom industry is advancing rapidly driven by the need for higher data capacity, ultra-low latency, and enhanced network resilience. Emerging technologies such as 5G, edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven network management, and Internet of Things (IoT) enhance communication infrastructures. These innovations enable telecom providers to optimize network performance, improve automation, and deliver new service models across industries. This report explores the top 10 telecom industry trends and innovations for 2025 – highlighting how various technologies are accelerating the sector’s evolution and redefining its role in forming a hyper-connected digital landscape.
What are the Top Telecom Trends for 2025?
- 5G
- Edge Computing
- Software Defined Network (SDN)
- Telecom Automation
- Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
- Cybersecurity
- Customer Experience
- Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
- 6G
- Business Support Systems (BSS) and Operational Support Systems (OSS)
Innovation Map outlines the Top 10 Telecommunications Industry Trends & 20 Promising Telecom Startups
For this in-depth research on the Top 10 Telecommunication Trends & Startups, we analyzed a sample of 3100+ global startups & scaleups. This data-driven research provides innovation intelligence that helps you improve strategic decision-making by giving you an overview of emerging technologies in the telecommunication industry. In the Telecom Trend Innovation Map, you get a comprehensive overview of the innovation trends & startups that impact your company.
These insights are derived by working with our Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 4.7M+ startups & scaleups globally. As the world’s largest resource for data on emerging companies, the SaaS platform enables you to identify relevant technologies and industry trends quickly & exhaustively.
Tree Map reveals the Impact of the Top 10 Trends in Telecommunication
Based on the Telecommunication Industry Innovation Map, the Tree Map below illustrates the impact of the Top 10 Telecom Industry Trends like edge computing, telecom automation, 6G, cybersecurity, and more. We have examined 3196 startups from different regions around the world. This examination includes insights like which trend the startup is working on, the products/services being built, how it aids the telecommunication sector, etc. These insights assist in making a more aligned and strategy-driven decision.
Global Startup Heat Map covers 3196 Telecom Startups & Scaleups
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the global distribution of the 3196 exemplary startups & scaleups that we analyzed for this research. Created through the StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, the Heat Map reveals high startup activity in Western Europe and the USA, followed by India.
Below, you get to meet 20 out of these 3196 promising startups & scaleups as well as the solutions they develop. These 20 startups are hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised & more. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
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Top 10 Emerging Trends in Telecom Industry (2025 & Beyond)
1. 5G
5G is known for its speed, low latency, capacity, and bandwidth. These features improve the efficiency of telecommunication in handling usage spikes and unpredictable network traffic. Additionally, 5G provides reliable connections among multiple IoT devices and assists in developing smart industries and remote monitoring across sectors. 5G also improves the user experience of content consumption, such as streaming live events.
Vaan Megam streamlines 5G Application Testing & Deploying
Vaan Megam is an Indian startup that provides a 5G lab-as-a-service platform that facilitates testing of protocols, performance, and latency. The company uses real-world conditions through its realistic test bed and delivers accurate assessments for telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, and application developers. It provides detailed reporting, test scheduling, monitoring, and value-added services like logging, resuming crashes, and rerunning on failure. This allows businesses to deploy high-quality 5G solutions without investing in expensive infrastructure.
Saviah Technologies provides 5G Core (5GC) Networks
Taiwanese startup Saviah Technologies provides 5GC in three variations: lightweight, industry-grade, and carrier-grade. These 5GC networks are used for various purposes, such as telecom technology centers and virtual reality. They also improve connectivity in industries like agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, port, media, and entertainment. Saviah Technologies’ 5GC complies with 3GPR R15/16 standards and covers end-to-end network functions like access and mobility management, session management, user plane, authentication server, and more. It also assists in network functions like slice selection, exposure, NF repository, and policy control.
2. Edge Computing
Edge computing along with 5G induces benefits like higher bandwidth, faster response time, better decision-making, and lower latency in the telecommunication sector. Telecom providers use edge computing to improve horizontal platform functionalities by segregating it into three layers: connectivity, hardware, and value-added services. It also enhances network resilience with a decentralized structure, which allows multiple nodes to work independently. As edge nodes are capable of local data processing, telecom operators are able to maintain service continuity even when the connectivity to central servers is compromised.
Rural Cloud Initiative offers Edge Computing for Rural Areas
Rural Cloud Initiative is a US-based startup that delivers edge computing solutions for improving data processing capabilities in rural communities. Its proprietary platforms EdgeHub, EdgeGate, EdgeRan, and EdgeSite provide virtual networks and connectivity along with data storage and analysis. This arrangement assists in enterprise LTE networks, 5G networks, edge storage, video analytics, industrial automation, and drone operations.
Radian Arc provides Cloud Gaming & SDN Services
Radian Arc is an Australian startup that offers GPU computing, storage, and networking infrastructure for telecommunication service providers. The distributed GPU-based edge provides a low-latency network for improving value-added services, monetizing 5G investments, faster cloud gaming, and SDN services. The low-latency network also facilitates applications like AI and machine learning. The GPU edge solutions are also available as an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), a paid host of bare metal-as-a-service (BMaaS), and virtual machine-as-a-service (VMaaS).
3. Software Defined Network
SDN operates by separating the control plane that makes decisions about traffic flow from the data plane that implements that decision. For example, telecommunication companies use SDN to implement network slicing in 5G networks and create multiple virtual networks on a single physical infrastructure to support applications like IoT and high-definition video streaming. SDN’s centralized control further simplifies network management for quicker responses to security threats. Software-defined networks improve edge computing applications, end-to-end network visibility, and bandwidth management with software-based controllers and application programming interfaces (APIs).
Cerebo Networks streamlines SD-WAN Network Management
Dutch startup Cerebo develops a platform that combines AI-powered automation with human expertise to optimize SD-WAN and SASE services. It analyzes data from customers’ network environments and uses AI technology to create actionable insights. The predictive analysis for network security identifies trends and anomalies, while the self-serving capacities automate tasks like quoting, invoicing, and network management.
DevBoks produces Integrable API-centric OSS/BSS Solutions
DevBoks is a South African startup that develops SDN solutions for the telecommunications industry. It automates the API-centric OSS-BSS systems. Devboks has developed self-service graphical user interfaces and API platforms that strengthen Internet Exchange Points, ISPs, and telecom operations. It addresses network issues through self-maintaining capabilities. The company’s approach uses DevOps, system reliability engineering, and agile methodologies to ensure robust, scalable solutions.
4. Telecom Automation
The telecom industry leverages automation technologies to streamline operations from customer support, billing, and network diagnostics to data management and compliance auditing. Telecom automation thus improves customer retention, customer experience, product/service quality, and revenue. Further AL and ML integration in telecommunication enables intelligent process automation (IPA) and self-optimizing networks (SONs). The telecommunication industry is also automating fault detection of networks by identifying and addressing problems in real-time to reduce downtime and improve network performance.
Autosphere facilitates RPA-based Telecom Operation Automation
Autosphere, based in Saudi Arabia, automates account management, contact center, network operations, and business support functions for the telecom industry using RPA. The AI-driven RPA platform uses machine learning to imitate human interactions with machines and execute tasks with high precision. The products used in RPA include three different types of bots for various business purposes, Auto IDP for extracting and structuring information from difficult content in various document formats, and Telenetics for visualizing the ROI of different business metrics.
Reailize enables Network Operation Center (NOC) Automation
Reailize automates network operation center (NOC) processes using NLP, which extracts relevant information from manual inputs provided by experts. It utilizes LLM-based intelligent ticket routing for ticket triage and root cause analysis, which ensures faster and more accurate problem identification. Additionally, Reailize leverages closed-loop automation that integrates with RAF. This automation ensures 24×7 monitoring of the network operations and detailed trouble ticket lifecycle management.
5. Voice Over Internet Protocol
VoIP addresses the industry’s need for scalable and adaptable communication solutions, especially as the demand for remote work and global connectivity increases. Companies like Cisco and Microsoft integrate VoIP into their collaboration tools to improve team communication across geographies. VoIP also assists telecom providers in lowering operational costs by consolidating voice and data networks. This step eliminates the need for separate infrastructures.
RemiPBX develops Enterprise-suited VoIP Communication
US-based startup RemiPBX offers customized communication solutions to businesses. The VoIP phones use the IVR Auto Attendant system for greeting customers with automated messages and routing them to the appropriate person or department. It reduces spam and saves time. The call routing features create customized call flows for efficient communication. RemiPBX secures all transmissions using Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption between endpoints. The Yealink W60P Wireless DECT IP phones have sturdy hardware for businesses handling heavy call loads. RemiPBX also offers T46 telephones with a high-resolution TFT color display, which includes a rich visual experience and life-like clarity. The T41/42 telephones are feature-rich 12-line IP Phones designed based on the theory of ease of use.
Wondercomm builds UNified Phone Systems for SMBs
Wondercomm, based in the USA, provides a unified communication system to SMBs (small and medium businesses). The company builds and deploys a cloud-based unified phone system to allow collaboration among teams to share files directly within chats. It reduces email clutter and improves productivity. The phone’s cloud-based infrastructure enables conference, audio, video, and screen sharing for up to 30 participants. It also includes features like call forwarding to ring groups and paging, streamlining internal communication.
6. Cybersecurity
The focus on improving encryption protocol and securing sensitive data in transit increased as the telecom industry intersected with data-sensitive sectors like healthcare and finance. These sectors use complex solutions like NFVi, eSIM, and VoLTE. In addition to securing complex networks, telecom operators utilize cybersecurity to tackle data breaches, man-in-the-middle attacks, ransomware, and 5G infrastructure exploits. Data encryption, network slicing, and authentication protocols further ensure network security. Additionally, technologies such as telecom threat intelligence (TI) secure endpoints and interconnected devices while AI-driven threat detection and zero-trust architectures (ZTA) detect and neutralize sophisticated threats like distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
Blackdice advances Telecom Cybersecurity
BlackDice, based in the UK provides enterprise-grade cybersecurity and data intelligence for small and medium-scale businesses. It uses AI-driven technology embedded within routers to protect broadband networks, devices, and IoT environments. The solution integrates machine learning and device-agnostic tools to identify and neutralize real-time threats such as advanced persistent threats (APTs) and ransomware across entire cyber ecosystems.
Hiaware offers All-Network-based Cybersecurity & Encrypted Connections
Hiaware, based in Slovenia delivers all-network-based cybersecurity and encrypted connections for B2B, protecting various networks, including public Wi-Fi. It uses a DNS-based system to filter malicious content and prevent malware attacks without requiring downloads, setups, or user maintenance. It also provides real-time threat detection and integration with existing systems.
7. Customer Experience
The telecommunication industry is more equipped to collect and analyze customer data to improve their experience. With the integration of AI and big data, telecom operators further optimize the customer journey. For example, AI chatbots use NLP and voice recognition to recognize customer emotions and intent during calls. Recording these emotions and intent allows the telecom operators to customize action plans for customer retention. Similarly, data analytics assist telecom operators in analyzing customer insights and delivering more refined customer journeys.
GTS Techlabs facilitates Omni-Channel Communication for Telecom
GTS Techlabs is a Singaporean that offers a cloud-based CPaaS for real-time customer engagements. Businesses use the application program interfaces (API) of the CPaaS platform to integrate it with the choice of communication channels, which allows relevant engagements through voice, messaging, and other media. It leverages AI and data analytics to facilitate real-time data processing and AI-driven fraud management for security. One mentionable feature of the platform is employing NLP to resolve customer queries in their native language.
Bluewhirl offers a Data Repository Solution for Communication Channels
Indian startup Bluewhirl has developed a single data repository solution. The product CircleOne is a configurable SaaS platform for managing customer experiences across communication channels. It employs AI to generate insights and real-time analytics, which allows businesses to adapt or scale up.
8. Network Function Virtualization
Telecom operators leverage virtualized networks due to their elastic architecture to increase scalability and flexibility while reducing system operating costs. NFV replaces network appliance hardware with virtual machines to optimize tasks like routing and load balancing. It also enables virtualized routers, WAN optimization, network address translation, firewalls, and more. Telecom operators choose from full virtualization, part virtualization, and OS-level virtualization, depending on their requirements.
AticaraTech provides a Software-based Network Traffic Simulator
Indian startup AticaraTech develops a software-based network traffic simulator to test SDN/NFV solutions, traditional hardware-based networks, and security products. The virtual network function test uses a 1/10/25/40/50/100 Gbps traffic emulator to facilitate interaction with the network traffic and generate insights. It is compatible with hypervisors like ESXI, KVM, OpenStack, and workstation virtualization software like VMware Workstation and Oracle VirtualBox. The platform provides real-world traffic replay and malware testing capabilities.
Open Coconut Network facilitates Remote Internet Exchange
Belgian startup Open Coconut Networks provides a remote internet exchange solution that promises better connectivity of Internet Exchanges (IX) with remote locations or virtual environments. The BGP peering allows users to establish direct peering and traffic exchanges with major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and cloud services such as AWS, Google, and Cloudflare without needing a physical presence at the IX location. The IP transit routes facilitate connecting any infrastructure to the public internet so that the provider can make their services available to everyone. Open Coconut Networks enables businesses to connect to critical global IX points like AMS-IX, DE-CIX, and France-IX, which ensures efficient, cost-effective data exchange customized to their regional or international needs.
9. 6G
6G operates on higher frequencies than 5G and offers higher speed, better bandwidth, improved spectrum utilization, intelligent network management, and lower latency. This, in turn, enhances data storing, processing, and sharing. Additionally, 6G optimizes fields like imaging, presence technology, and location awareness, among other applications.
TeraSi designs 6G-Compliant RF Products
TeraSi builds 6G-compliant RF components. It combines semiconductor construction, system-in-package (SiP) technology, ultra-low loss, and lightweight design to create high-performance RF systems. These components operate at frequencies beyond 100 GHz essential for next-generation wireless technologies. The reduced size and weight assure convenient integration with semiconductor devices and passive components in telecoms, radar, and satellite applications.
Desire6g offers Programmable Distributed 6G Networks
Desire6g, based in North Holland integrates AI into a measurable and programmable data plane. This integration develops a zero-touch control, management, and orchestration platform to support extreme ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) applications. The company enables automated management, better security, and high programmability, which contribute to the efficiency and reliability of 6G networks.
10. BSS and OSS
Business support systems entail organizational tasks while operational support systems concern network administration. Together, they improve operational efficiency, automate repetitive processes, and provide predictive analysis for network optimization. With the increase in the development of 5G and IoT, telecom operators are reaping the benefits of end-to-end network visibility in OSS/BSS systems. It improves service quality, proactive maintenance, and quicker issue resolution. Cloud-native architectures of the modern OSS-BSS let the operators and providers shift their operation systems to cloud-based solutions. Along with integrating fraud management and security sources into the BSS/OSS, the telecom providers also focus on adopting agile approaches and DevOps practices, for creating a flexible ecosystem.
Halleyx offers an AI-powered BSS Platform
Canadian startup Halleyx provides an AI-powered 5G-ready SaaS BSS platform. The modular SaaS BSS automates tasks from product catalog management to customer billing in the telecom industry. The platform uses an inbuilt AI-powered decision manager to streamline operations and offer features like real-time analytics, automated workflows, and an intuitive user interface.
Vitrifi builds a Broadband Connectivity Platform
UK-based startup Vitrifi delivers a broadband connectivity platform that acts as a single point of contact between the buy-side and sell-side. It facilitates cloud-native disaggregation by orchestrating fiber services across various access networks. Fiber (FTTP), copper, and HFC cables improve the network’s connectivity and agility. The platform unifies multiple systems, project trackers, and fragmented data sources into a single source, which offers end-to-end real-time visibility into project progress from ‘Ready for Sale’ to ‘Ready for Connection.’ The flexibility to monitor node health and calculate critical metrics like cost-to-serve and Subscriber Acquisition Cost (SAC) provides a comprehensive view of network efficiency and financial viability.
Discover all Telecom Trends, Technologies & Startups
The details and insights provided in this report hint towards some revolutionary developments in the telecommunication sector. With more developments in areas like 6G, telecom automation, and edge computing, the telecommunication industry is all set to showcase a completely new outlook in the near future. It is only a matter of time until different industries recognize these developments and integrate with them to move towards a future built with progressive technologies.
The 10 Telecom Trends & 20 Startups outlined in this report only scratch the surface of trends that we identified during our data-driven innovation & startup scouting process. Identifying new opportunities & emerging technologies to implement into your business goes a long way in gaining a competitive advantage. Get in touch to work with the startup that is most relevant to your innovation idea.
