After 25 years in the wireless industry, Intelocate’s VP of Sales, Tim McLaughlin, has developed a January ritual: he starts the year by listening to colleagues, to our customers, and to the industry veterans he’s lucky enough to call friends. It’s his way of sensing where the industry’s attention is headed and what’s shaping priorities for the year ahead.
Here’s a summary of what’s rising to the top in 2026:
A few themes keep bubbling up in 2026:
Diversifying offerings is more important than ever. Carriers are bundling mobile with home internet, entertainment and connected‑home solutions. Authorised Retailers can partner with Carriers and MVNOs, offer IoT and home‑internet products, and become true “connected living” hubs.
Multi-Product Bundles Dramatically Cut Churn
Consider multi-product bundles, partner with MVNOs, and expand into home internet and IoT solutions. Customers who buy multiple products stay longer and spend more. The competitive landscape is shifting. Diversification isn't just growth—it's a retention strategy.
AI is becoming part of everyday life in our stores. It’s no longer just a buzzword; it’s helping us forecast demand, personalise service and free up our teams to focus on people.
And there’s a fresh take on efficiency. Operations consolidation is “the new kid on the block”. While Real‑time data and predictive analytics are helping us optimise staffing and inventory. eSIM technology is cutting activation times and giving associates more space to build relationships. Unified commerce platforms are tying everything together so customers and staff experience less friction. The emerging trend is the consolidation of the back-office ops, which enables all of the above to drive measurable results.
Widespread carrier consolidations and layoffs mean there are fewer resources to support dealer networks. In this reality, consolidating systems is essential to maintain business continuity and deliver a high‑quality customer experience in the field.
Stores Are Experience Hubs, Not Transaction Centers
Customers still want expert guidance for activations and plan advice, but they expect more. Your stores need to function as showrooms, service centers, and fulfillment nodes simultaneously. Over half of telecom leaders expect physical locations to anchor unified commerce. Speed, convenience, and connected experiences are non-negotiable. Interactive displays, repair services, and comfortable consultations define the modern store.
eSIM Will Change Everything About Activations (Especially in Prepaid). Multi-Hour Setup → Minutes.
eSIM eliminates physical SIM cards and shrinks device setup dramatically. Your associates gain time to build relationships and upsell services instead of wrestling with tiny plastic cards.
The trade-off? You must train staff to explain eSIM benefits and address device-upgrade concerns. Purely digital activations could reduce foot traffic if not managed strategically.
Unified Commerce Isn't Optional Anymore
Customers expect to browse online, buy in-store, pick up curbside, and return anywhere. Cobbled-together tech stacks can't deliver that.
Fraud Is Getting Smarter—So Must You
Digital activations and eSIM adoption create new fraud vectors. Your stores handle sensitive data and high-value devices, making them prime targets for sophisticated schemes.
AI-powered fraud detection identifies fake accounts and suspicious patterns. Robust security protocols, employee training, and cross-industry collaboration are essential. Vigilance must be built into operations, not bolted on afterwards.
Flexible Inventory Models Beat Traditional Ownership*
Using Consignment - 81% of Telecom retailers are adopting consignment inventory models.
77% Exploring VMI -Retailers considering vendor-managed inventory strategies
Demand for new devices is flattening. Consignment, vendor-managed inventory, drop-ship fulfillment, and store-to-store transfers improve cash flow, reduce overstock, and enable faster fulfillment—critical advantages when supply chains stay volatile.
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Data references used in this post: https://inform.tmforum.org/features-and-opinion/rethinking-the-telecoms-retail-experience
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights