Cisco sees bigger enterprise play for telcos with 5G

The move to 5G is expected to create bigger shifts in the power dynamics for technology players, admits Cisco, which sees service providers such as Reliance Jio and Airtel driving business engagements instead of Cisco taking the lead.

“For service providers, 70-80 per cent of the revenues come from selling directly to consumers. About 20-25 per cent come from enterprises. But 5G allows them to change that mix drastically. Our estimate is that it will be a 50-50 game. That means service providers have to develop skills and solutions to provide solutions on 5G for enterprises,” Sameer Garde, President, Cisco India and SAARC, told BusinessLine.

The shift in the customer profile for telcos means they are engaging with enterprises and other businesses a lot more than they ever did, making their relationships with enterprises closer than what vendors like Cisco currently have.