Worldwide telecoms operators are speeding up innovation cycles through the introduction of agile product management methods (MVPs, sprints, iterative testing) to shorten time-to-market and improve product quality, as well as adapt quickly to new technologies, writes Anna Ribeiro. McKinsey highlights a transition from traditional to more agile, customer-first models of working. Adoption of these approaches accelerates the pace of products being brought to market and encourages new methods of network modernisation, largely in the context of open radio access networks (Open RAN) roll-out.
But such change is not limited to conventional telecoms networks; hyperscalers and carriers, too, are going agile as they transition to Open RAN, driving innovation at accelerated speeds. As hyperscalers set the pace, telecoms agility is globally shifting across the board.
MVPs emerge as telecoms testbed
An MVP is a version of a new product that allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort possible. In telecoms, this principle is extremely helpful because it enables providers to pilot new services, including 5G-powered applications, with a restricted user base before scaling. That allows them to test and experiment with market hypotheses, respond to customer feedback and drive innovation while reducing risk factors.
For instance, Vodafone has used MVPs for 5G application launches across a couple of cities to collect user feedback about the services and then iterate on them before expanding nationally.
Telia‘s Swedish operations implemented agile methods and developed products for the market faster, with customer satisfaction increasing as a result of a shorter development cycle and better deliverables. These case studies demonstrate how adopting agile-based practices can make organisations innovative, responsive and customer-focused. They also show that the MVP tactics are the main drivers to retain customers.
Sprinting toward telco agility
Traditionally, telecoms operators relied on meticulous preparation and long development cycles that ended in delayed roll-outs, overly packed feature sets that were difficult to change midstream.
Agile telecoms development uses sprints; typically, large and complex projects are divided into smaller and manageable phases. The framework gives development teams the ability to move faster, react to evolving requirements, thus bringing to market more relevant products. Cross-functional production teams create their own plans to complete a task based on using best practices for their context, while they keep in mind their potential failure and crisis management should they encounter an issue or problem. Those self-organising teams should also work with other members who have different expertise as needs arise.
These concentrated sprints build, test and iterate on products rapidly and incorporate user feedback continuously, leading to a faster development process, which is more responsive, resulting in better quality, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Iterative testing and feedback
Beyond product testing, iterative testing has emerged as a powerful tool in identifying issues early. Across traditional telecoms networks, testing was regarded as a large bulk process conducted at the end. But agile development includes continuous testing, so products get adjusted along the way and the final result has fewer defects. The feedback loop operates on real-time analytics, allowing operators to detect issues before they scale, producing higher-quality products and improved user experience.
Agile techniques promote continuous experimentation, constantly validating each feature using direct customer feedback. Notably, telecoms operators have moved away from the annual launches to rolling out monthly and even weekly releases. Optus used agile technologies to improve its customer service operations, streamline call centre operations, reduce call wait times and improve the overall customer experience.
Agility in Open RAN speeding path to innovation
Positive effects of agile product management can only be gauged through Open RAN compatibility. Built on an open architecture, Open RAN allows operators to separate hardware and software, creating greater innovation and flexibility in network design. Telcos such as Rakuten Mobile in Japan and Telefonica in Europe are aggressively employing Open RAN to enhance the scalability of their networks and reduce costs.
Open RAN’s appeal lies in its capability to enable operators to bring innovations faster and more flexibly. As more operators migrate to Open RAN, agile methodologies such as MVPs and iterative testing are critical to help them drive adoption. Rakuten Mobile cited the openness of its Open RAN network architecture design as a key enabler for delivering a national 4G and 5G network in a fraction of the time required to do so with legacy RAN solutions.
Open RAN flexibility also fits well with agile continuous-improvement mentality. With the adoption of Open RAN in telecoms, feedback is better integrated and updates tend to be more incremental in nature. The approach serves as a trailblazer in bringing up network deployments, while continually helping telecoms to keep pace with emerging technologies such as AI, edge computing and network slicing.
Hyperscalers become new pioneers of telecoms agility
While telecoms operators are embracing agile methodologies, hyperscalers, typically large cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, are leading the way in terms of network flexibility and innovation. The infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) models offered by these hyperscalers provide telecoms with unmatched agility, as the hyperscalers themselves apply agile practices and shape telecom product strategies.
Hyperscalers are also increasingly keen to see Open RAN development and deployment, especially for B2B enterprise use cases. Hyperscalers offer tailored solutions for mobile networks and especially DUs, such as Amazon EKS (Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service) from AWS and its on-premises Amazon EKS-A (Amazon EKS Anywhere) option. In 2023, Orange included Open RAN at the heart of the experimental, virtualised and automated 5G SA network, built with AWS, Mavenir and Dell.
Future of agile telecoms networks
The implementation of the agile model for product management in telecoms companies is no longer a buzzword but a necessity to cope with the market competition. Using these agile methods, operators are accelerating their development timelines and responding faster to customer needs.
Among the drivers of this trend are:
- Hyperscalers influence using cloud-native architectures and Open RAN support, changing the telecoms landscape.
- Shift towards more flexible and scalable network solutions as telecoms operators embrace these breakthroughs.
- Agile methodologies contribute to improved product quality by incorporating customer input into every release.
The synergy between Open RAN and agile product management assists in launching new services more quickly, responding to changing market demands efficiently and improving customer experience.
SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) is also being adopted to scale agilely, realise greater productivity and customer satisfaction. It helps telcos move from traditional product management and development approaches to a more agile way of working. SAFe is a scaling framework among leading enterprises, as it is a trusted, proven system for responding to change, harnessing innovation and achieving business goals.
Anna Ribeiro