The digital consumer in 2026: how consumer behaviour is changing across 5G, AI, eSIM, devices and content

The perennial challenge for operators is being able to sell to consumers and businesses based on more than just speeds and latencies, which are eventually competed away. This analysis looks at a selection of 5G revenue models used by operators in the consumer and enterprise domains. What has worked? What hasn’t? Each model is compared according to a common template to give a view of the business impact.

Many AI announcements in Q1 2026 focused on telecoms operators and partners building out sovereign capabilities to satisfy national requirements around data residency, compute and LLMs. Meanwhile, investment in agentic AI build-outs has extended beyond networks and software to machines, drones, cars and other industrial assets – so-called ‘physical AI’. As well as recent developments from the telco AI space and the Telco AI tracker, this edition provides a deep dive on the implications of the growth of on-device AI.

Digital transformation of enterprises is accelerating across all vertical sectors, with next-generation connectivity being an important driver and enabler and a top area of investment. GSMA Intelligence surveyed 5,320 enterprises across 32 countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain relevant insights into their digital transformation across a range of technologies. This report analyses the key findings and implications for 5G and/or private networks technologies.