Colt CEO urges telcos to think beyond connectivity for AI

Colt CEO urges telcos to think beyond connectivity for AI is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• He argues that telcos must embrace broader infrastructure capabilities essential for AI readiness.
• The shift is driven by growing enterprise expectations and the rise of AI inference workloads that require more than simple bandwidth and connectivity.

What happened

Colt Technology Services’ Chief Executive Officer Keri Gilder has urged telecom operators worldwide to rethink their core offerings for the age of artificial intelligence, arguing that the industry must deliver far more than basic connectivity to support future enterprise needs. According to a Colt whitepaper and commentary from Gilder, traditional network services alone are “no longer fit for purpose” as organisations adopt AI at scale — and companies will need secure, sovereign, scalable, low-latency digital infrastructure to power those workloads.

Gilder’s comments highlight a broader vision for “AI readiness,” where telcos and digital infrastructure providers expand into services like edge computing, security-first network architecture and global reach, rather than focusing solely on connectivity and bandwidth. These infrastructure capabilities are essential for AI workloads that increasingly rely on distributed compute, fast response times and governance across regions.

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Why it’s important

The call to go beyond connectivity reflects a deeper shift in how networks are evaluated and consumed in the enterprise market. With many organisations spending significant amounts on AI and preparing for the “Inference Age,” infrastructure such as high-capacity links, distributed edge locations and advanced security are becoming core requirements, not optional extras.

In practice, this means telcos that stick to legacy models risk losing ground to hyperscalers, cloud providers and specialist infrastructure players who can offer integrated solutions. McKinsey and other industry research support this trend, showing that demand for services beyond connectivity — including cloud-native networking and AI-oriented platforms — is growing faster than traditional connectivity growth.

Gilder’s message underscores that future competitiveness in the telecom and digital infrastructure sectors will hinge on adaptability: embracing new technology stacks, strategic partnerships and services that meet enterprise expectations for AI-driven performance and seamless digital experiences.