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Wholesale is the provision of communications infrastructure, facilities and services to intermediaries for sale to other parties. The sector is undergoing major change, as new customers emerge and new products and services develop. Wholesale no longer just encompasses commodities such as bandwidth and minutes, but also customised services, which can be infrastructure, transport, managed data, access, MANs, voice or e-services. For the new breed of wholesalers, the mantra is 'Anything that can be retail can be wholesale.'
As the industry matures further - in both fixed and mobile sectors - being all things to all customers simply does not work. The traditional direct relationship that telecom operators had with end customers is being replaced by a number of indirect relationships as new intermediaries enter the supply chain, buying in various wholesale components, repackaging them with their own products, and selling them on to end users or other intermediaries. Wholesale has become a critical element in this new industry supply chain and will only grow in importance over the coming years.
While the 'traditional' areas of wholesale remain important elements in the sector, new areas for wholesale products and services are opening up. New types of wholesale customers are also entering the frame, including non-telco intermediaries, mobile service providers and xSPs. It is vital that telecom operators look to and address these opportunities.
Ovum has a global track record of providing strategic advice and guidance in wholesale telecommunications. Our advice covers:
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