Pioneering What’s Next in Telecom: A CTO’s Perspective
The telecom landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Hyperscalers are now capable of reshaping entire markets with a single investment decision. AI is dramatically increasing capacity needs. And companies are fighting for capital in a landscape full of uncertainty. In a candid conversation, GIX CTO George Cornachini breaks down what’s really happening beneath the surface.
Question: What are the shifts you’re seeing in the industry?
There are several factors reshaping the industry right now. First, we have uncertainty in the markets causing increased competition for Capex dollars, with some major mergers and acquisitions that have been accompanied by reductions in the workforce.
And these tensions are only heightened by the sheer weight of hyperscalers and their ability to disrupt the market.
Hyperscalers are absorbing significant resources in an already competitive environment. They’re the ones making considerable investments across the spectrum from data centers, cloud, dark fiber, content, applications, and beyond. Naturally, everyone is trying to align with them, because their direction often dictates the trajectory of the broader ecosystem.
At the same time, AI has shifted from an exploratory, learning‑phase technology into a real‑world implementation, and that shift is driving massive new demand into data centers and fiber. Capacity requirements are rising sharply, and with them comes a long chain of downstream impacts on power, fiber, equipment, land, supply chains, timelines, and capital allocation.
Question: What are the biggest challenges leaders are facing right now and how can we overcome them?
We’re coming out of a year defined by economic uncertainty, and that hesitation rippled across the industry. Many of the major players who typically deploy significant capital pulled back, slowing investment and delaying projects. But momentum is returning. We’re now seeing renewed movement, particularly in power infrastructure, to support the explosive growth in data center demand and the acceleration of fiber deployments. At the same time, hyperscalers are driving a new wave of capital investment, much of it centered on AI.
For leaders across the industry, the challenge is staying ahead of where the market is going rather than reacting to where it is today. AI is the perfect example. It’s evolving so quickly that if you’re only planning for the current state, you’re already behind. The organizations that succeed will be the ones anticipating the next phase of AI adoption and aligning their strategies to meet that future demand.
Question: What should companies look for in their technology partners?
If you choose the wrong technology partners, it’s going to cost you in time, in money, and in long‑term operational drag. You can layer any number of systems, but ultimately, you cannot overlook the physical layer. When you get that foundation right, everything else improves efficiency, scalability, and ultimately the financial performance that compounds into real value over time. One thing I’ve appreciated about Carma is that they boil everything down to being able to track your inventory, your expenses, and your communications. It’s about making workflows clear and simple, and making your data accessible. Carma becomes the vehicle for that. Because accessible data drives everything and when it’s in the right place, in the right format, your organization becomes more transparent, more efficient, and far easier to manage.
When evaluating any vendor, there are a few things leaders should be looking for:
Are you able to work with the people? Do they show up as a true partner after the sale, or do they disappear once the contract is signed?
Are they fit for purpose in this industry? I would argue that a system should deliver at least 80% of what you need right out of the box. Over-customization creates long-term complexity; what matters is configuration that delivers usability from day one.
Will your people adopt it? Change is hard especially for industry veterans who’ve done things the same way for decades. If the software isn’t intuitive, quick to migrate, and supported by people who understand the industry, adoption will stall. The transition needs to be painless, supported, and clearly valuable.
Question: Looking forward, what are some key trends or changes that companies should start preparing for?
It’s critical to know where your customers are going not just where they are today. As I mentioned earlier, hyperscalers and their investment strategies are shaping a huge portion of the industry right now. Their direction becomes the gravitational pull for everyone else.
To stay competitive, we must constantly look forward to what’s next. The organizations that excel are the ones chasing the next wave of innovation, not reacting to the current one. AI is a perfect example. Many telcos are embracing AI yet may not have their physical inventory data in the right place and that’s a massive roadblock. Without clean, accurate, accessible data, they’re already falling behind.
You need strong data foundations before AI can deliver any real value. It’s no different from building a customer portal: you can launch the most beautiful interface in the world, but if the data feeding it is wrong, trust evaporates instantly. Internal AI works the same way. The output is only as good as the input. If your inventory data is inaccurate and your physical layer isn’t properly tracked, your AI use cases will fail before they even start.
And that’s just today’s challenge. Quantum is coming next, bringing an entirely new layer of complexity, opportunity, and required investment. There are limitations now and hurdles ahead, but it’s undeniably part of the future. The leaders who prepare for it early will be the ones who shape the next era of the industry.