Brief
As telecom operators accelerate investment in AI and autonomous networks, IQGeo wanted to understand whether the physical network data underpinning this transformation was ready to support it. The research needed to quantify a long-recognised industry challenge – the gap between network records and what is actually in the ground – while exploring its impact on operations, automation readiness and the wider business.
Solution
We worked with IQGeo to develop a bespoke quantitative study among 500 telecom decision-makers in the US, Canada and UK. Respondents spanned network planning and engineering, operations, IT and strategy, providing perspectives from across the telecom ecosystem. The research examined network data accuracy, legacy systems and processes, AI adoption, field operations and the industry’s progress towards autonomous networks.
Outcome
The research powered IQGeo’s inaugural Ground Truth Survey 2026: Telecoms, revealing that just 13% of operators say most of their physical network records are accurate and up to date. The findings gave IQGeo compelling evidence to demonstrate the scale and business impact of the industry’s data challenge, supporting a wider thought leadership campaign including media outreach, content and an expert panel with leaders from Brightspeed and Swisscom.
