Communications infrastructure in 2026: fit for purpose?

There has been significant and growing investment in communications infrastructure for the past 20 years, resulting in more fibre, more spectrum and better broadband coverage. But this infrastructure will still not be adequate to support the new demands that are being placed upon it. The sectors that depend on it for mission-critical operations are already setting requirements for resilience and quality of service that outrun the capabilities of current networks. AI is creating demand that traditional network planning cannot serve, and ownership has fragmented to the point where no single party is accountable when something goes wrong. 

Without significant further investment, the infrastructure will not be fit for purpose, and the choices that operators and investors make now about infrastructure will be very difficult to reverse.

Read the full article for Analysys Mason's assessment of the pressures that are bearing down on communications infrastructure and the strategic trade-offs facing telecoms operators, satellite operators and investors.