A Digital Maturity Model for Telecommunications Service Providers

Abstract

Industries across the spectrum are being faced with a fundamental change: digital transformation. The telecommunications industry is no exception. For communications service providers, this transformation started some time ago with the emergence of so called over-the-top (OTT) services such as WhatsApp and Skype. However, in spite of such transformation being underway, there is a lack of frameworks and tools to help communications service providers navigate such radical change. This article presents the findings of a research project to develop such a framework: the digital maturity model for telecommunications service providers. The model aims to offer a structured view of digital transformation that is specific to the context and challenges of the telecommunications industry and that can be used as a standard to help communications service providers benchmark themselves against peers or themselves as they advance their transformation. This article describes the need for the model and the methodology used to develop it, and it offers recommendations on how to use the model and further develop it as our understanding of digital transformation evolves.