My Prediction Realized: Telcos Are Becoming AI Companies with Perplexity

Republishing my LinkedIn post

Last year, I wrote about the monetization potential of partnering with Perplexity. It was my prediction. This year, it’s becoming reality. 🚀 😊

When SK Telecom first partnered with Perplexity last year, the startup offered promising AI search capabilities to telecom operators. Since then, Perplexity has evolved dramatically, emerging as a formidable challenger to Silicon Valley giants.

Let me get into what telecom operators are gaining from these strategic alliances.

What Operators Are Getting

• AI-Powered Customer Engagement: Moving beyond traditional voice assistants to conversational AI search, enhancing customer experience and reducing support costs
• Revenue Diversification: Subscription-based AI services create new revenue streams as traditional telecom margins compress
• Competitive Differentiation: First-mover advantage in AI integration while competitors lag behind
• Next-Gen Device Strategy: Co-developing AI-native devices that redefine the smartphone experience
• Global AI Ecosystem Access: Partnership with Perplexity’s $18B valuation company provides access to cutting-edge AI technology coming from different LLM giants

Softbank and Deutsche Telekom are going beyond just offering free subscriptions. Softbank is offering co-development, product integration and co-development, and AI-Phone under $1k.

Perplexity’s rise as a telecom partner underscores the industry’s shift toward AI-driven services. By integrating Perplexity, telecom operators are not just keeping pace but leading the charge in delivering smarter, more engaging customer experiences.

Telecom operators partnering with Perplexity aren’t just buying AI tools—they’re positioning themselves as AI companies.

It’s exciting to see telcos take control of their AI strategy by co-innovating with companies like Perplexity.