THE CARRIER GUIDE TO 2026: Traffic, Technology and Unsung Heroes

By Mattias Fridström
Jan 18, 2026

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 is the Year of the Horse. In Chinese culture, horses symbolize confidence, responsibility, and a strong dislike of being restrained. They are energetic and intelligent, thriving on both physical and mental challenges—but they can also be easily swayed and impatient. In many ways, these traits mirror the most successful companies in our industry. You need confidence to lead, yet the agility to respond to whatever happens in your network every single day. In today’s turbulent world, past success is no guarantee for the future. Staying sharp and using intelligence is more critical than ever, especially when the rules seem to change by the month. Despite these challenges, traffic continues to grow, and new opportunities keep emerging. In keeping with my tradition of sharing ‘Top 3’ predictions for the year ahead, here are my thoughts for 2026.

The Top 3 Global Carrier Industry Trends

1. Redundancy and resiliency have become the hottest currency in networking. While this isn’t an entirely new trend, it has grown increasingly critical in every aspect of a telecom operator’s work. In the past, a large network map and a promise of “99.99…% uptime” were often enough. Today, many customers demand multiple layers of redundancy—everything from multiple entrances to a PoP building to at least four independent routes between core sites. Operators now need to demonstrate, in detail, how every route is fully redundant and why there are no single point of failure in the network. Crossings are, of course, unavoidable, but there are ways to design them while maintaining redundancy. In 2026, operators will present customers with more detailed network maps than ever before
2. AI is everywhere. Beyond intense speculation of an ‘AI bubble’, it is widely accepted that AI is here to stay, and in the future, most companies will leverage it in some shape or form. The telecom industry is no exception. While we are still a few years away from fully self-healing networks, the number of AI-driven use cases is growing rapidly. One simple example involves the fact that every telecom operator’s network typically consists of a mix of owned and leased infrastructure. As with any technology, upgrades and configuration changes are inevitable. Combine this with city infrastructure projects—continual construction with a sustained impact on ducts and cables—and the challenge becomes clear. Managing hundreds of planned works each month and predicting their potential impact is no easy task. AI will make this process far more manageable, ultimately reducing customer downtime. 2026 will bring significant progress in these areas.
3. Quantum security is here. With the rising number of cyberattacks and data breaches, the responsibility to keep data secure and uncompromised has never been greater. Experts warn that if you haven’t already developed a quantum security strategy, you’re falling behind. As quantum computing advances, traditional encryption methods may no longer be sufficient. Much of today’s sensitive data is being collected and stored, and once quantum technologies become widely available in the coming years, information that was once deemed secure could be easily decrypted and misused. While quantum networks are expected to make an entrance after 2030, quantum security techniques will be available much sooner. Protecting sensitive data will continue to be a key priority for many companies in 2026

Read the full article from issue 146 of the SubTel Forum Magazine