Telecoms operator opex reduction strategies: case studies and analysis (North American operators)

This report analyses the approaches that five operators in North America are taking to reduce their operating costs. We consider four aspects of each operator’s opex reduction initiatives: operations, infrastructure and network, organisation and energy.

The report identifies some of the strategic targets set by operators and, where possible, discusses whether those targets have been met and whether past strategies have been effective. It also describes trends regarding opex, opex intensity, opex breakdown by category and opex per subscriber.

The profiles are based on public sources and insights from analyst briefings and events.

Questions answered in this report

• In which areas are telecoms operators looking to reduce opex?
• What types of initiatives are operators pursuing?
• What are the drivers and the targets of these initiatives?
• What are the common challenges that operators face in terms of opex reduction?

Operators included as case studies

• AT&T
• Bell
• TELUS
• T-Mobile
• Verizon