Juniper Research has revealed its Top 10 telecoms and connectivity trends for 2026 in a new whitepaper that evaluates the forces redefining telecoms – from AI-driven automation to new connectivity models – and pinpoints where operators, vendors, and investors must act next.
According to Juniper, the 10 trends set to define telecoms in 2026 are:
- AI agents will redefine customer interaction at scale.
- MVNOs and travel eSIMs converge to serve the global roamer.
- RCS business messaging becomes major battleground for fraud.
- New partnerships between digital marketing agencies and CPaaS platforms.
- Multi-orbit satellite networks lay the groundwork for next-gen connectivity.
- Messaging and voice verification begin to converge for enterprise security.
- Substantial growth in MVNO launches across various industries.
- 6G research accelerates with focus on terahertz spectrum innovation.
- KYC APIs see rapid adoption across digital services in 2026.
- Consumer eSIM provisioning to be streamlined to accommodate market shifts.
“This year’s trends demonstrate how telecoms is moving beyond infrastructure towards intelligence as automation, security, and customer experience become central to growth,” says Sam Barker, VP of Telecoms Market Research at Juniper Research. “Operators can no longer compete on network strength alone. Success now depends on how intelligently they use emerging technologies to deliver value, efficiency, and trust across every layer of connectivity.”