Network spend to reach $520 billion by 2025, telcos to account for 53%: Report

NEW DELHI: The Capex of telco, webscale, and carrier-neutral operators which stood at $420 billion in 2019, is expected to reach $520 billion by 2025 and telcos will account for 53% of it, said a report by an independent analyst firm MTN Consulting.

While the market share of telcos will increase from 9% in 2019, webscale operators will grow from 25% to 39% in the same timeframe; and, carrier-neutral providers will add 8% of total Capex in 2025 from their 2019 level of 6%.

The telco employee base is also expected to erode from 5.1 million in 2019 to 4.5 million in 2025 on account of deploying automation technologies, casting off networks to the carrier-neutral sector, and the subsequent increase in demand for software and IT skills, the report added.