The telecom industry is entering one of the most turbulent periods in recent memory. This moment is defined not by competition or consumer demand, but by economic policy and geopolitical complexity. With new tariff policies in flux, combined with an expected increase in inflation, telecom providers are facing a perfect storm of rising costs, squeezed margins and market uncertainty. While some may wait for clarity, telcos that move boldly now by embracing innovation, breaking free from rigid technology dependencies and rethinking their cost structures will be best positioned for success.
Telecom’s new economic reality
Current U.S. trade policy includes significant tariff increases, expected to stabilize at 10% on all imports from many countries. This is a sharp jump from the 2024 average U.S. rate of 2.5%, and represents a 300% increase, signaling a policy shift that will certainly reshape how the telecom industry builds, funds and scales its infrastructure.
For telecom carriers and equipment vendors, the impact is direct and substantial. Equipment costs – already elevated from earlier tariff rounds – are expected to rise again. Those costs include critical infrastructure that can’t be compromised like routers, switches, antennas and fiber-optic components. And with a 10% tariff already proposed, companies must take immediate steps to prepare for operational and financial impacts.
Rising capital costs add pressure
Tariffs are just one part of the financial pressure. If inflation increases, the risk-free rate of capital will rise, reflected in the form of higher interest rates. That means:
- Higher cost for building and maintaining infrastructure
- Slower rollout of new technologies like 5G and edge computing
- Delays in capital investment stalling current and future transformation initiatives
- Tighter capital budgets and possible headcount reductions
- Lower earnings and declining share prices
And perhaps most importantly, a strong likelihood of higher prices for consumers, who are expected to bear the brunt. Lagging consumer demand due to high costs presents yet another risk to growth and profitably for telcos already running on thin margins.
Strategies in motion: Localization, diversification and risk
Telecom leaders aren’t standing still. In fact, some have already begun reshaping their strategies in response to earlier waves of tariffs and supply chain stress.
Ericsson’s smart factory in Texas is a prime example. Built with anchor commitments from major U.S. carriers like AT&T and Verizon, it now produces a significant portion of equipment domestically to sidestep both tariffs and global shipping delays. Nokia has also partnered with U.S. contract manufacturers to support domestic production and maintain compliance with federal broadband funding rules.
Other carriers are employing a “China Plus One” supply chain strategy that promotes diversifying manufacturing and sourcing operations beyond China to reduce dependency and mitigate risk. Still, these moves introduce their own complexities: longer lead times, operational fragmentation and, in some cases, increased risk exposure.
Many providers are delaying major investments, including parts of 5G deployments, not because of lack of demand, but because of financial uncertainty.
The innovation bottleneck: Vendor lock-in
Vendor lock-in represents one of the most dangerous, less-visible barriers to innovation. Many telcos are still tethered to rigid enterprise software support models that hinder agility and create innovation bottlenecks.
In a world that demands flexibility, some software vendor relationships are now “cement shoes,” slowing down innovation, complicating integration with emerging technologies and driving up costs just to maintain the vendor’s status quo. Upgrades are expensive. Customizations are restricted. And replatforming takes too long.
In this environment, every dollar saved on support costs is a dollar that can be reinvested into innovation. Reducing reliance on inflexible software vendors allows telcos to self-fund innovation by accelerating time-to-market, unlocking new revenue opportunities and regaining control of their IT roadmaps.
The path forward: Act now or fall behind
The message is clear: waiting is not a successful strategy. Telecom providers must implement a proactive approach focused on:
- Rethinking sourcing and production strategies to minimize tariff exposure
- Prioritizing open, modular technology platforms that adapt to change
- Eliminating vendor lock-in to unlock agility and lower long-term costs
- Investing in innovation, even amid uncertainty, to stay ahead of customer and competitive demands
In an industry where timing is everything, hesitation can be costly. The telcos that emerge stronger will be those that take decisive action now—not only to weather volatility, but to also use it as a catalyst for long-overdue transformation.
The Rimini Smart Path™ is a guided methodology that helps organizations self-fund and accelerate transformation while increasing returns on existing software and protecting future software investments. This approach can help telcos break free from outdated support models, reduce support costs, avoid disruptive upgrades and find solutions to thrive amid market uncertainty. Learn more about how we help telecom providers achieve transformation without disruption.
