HONG KONG, April 28, 2026 — The global telecommunications industry is undergoing a significant structural shift driven by the rapid development of artificial intelligence, according to a new report by PwC. Traditional connectivity revenue growth is slowing, while AI-powered digital infrastructure is triggering an unprecedented “super investment cycle.”
Global telecom service revenue is projected to increase from US$1.15 trillion in 2024 to around US$1.32 trillion by 2029, a modest 2.8% compound annual growth rate, while average revenue per user continues to face downward pressure. PwC noted that large-scale AI clusters and data center investments are creating new value pools closely tied to network capabilities.
PwC partners said leading telecom operators are focusing on four areas: enterprise and wholesale connectivity for AI workloads, integrated broadband networks, sovereign-compliant edge and cloud services, and resilient space-to-ground networks. China, leveraging top-down policy design, vast market scale, and strategic carrier transformation, is emerging as a central force in the global AI computing landscape.
