LIVE TELCO acts as a sourcing arm for several operators as they constantly scan the market for hot deals or capacity that is being released. Yves Nahas, Founding Partner, LIVE TELCO, spoke to Telecom Review to share details about the entity’s line of work, and provided his perspective on the wholesale and enterprise growth expected in the coming years.
Please share with us the purpose behind launching LIVE TELCO, and the company’s long-term objectives.
The telecom industry has dramatically changed over the years and traditional players are missing opportunities by not being able to change fast enough and not jumping on opportunities that are presenting themselves on a golden plate.
LIVE TELCO was launched last year and we have already signed almost a hundred contracts with major operators, won a major deal with known LEO customers, and are currently in the process of securing other opportunities linked to satellite, disaster recovery and connectivity.
We are bringing real value to telecom operators, satellite operators and enterprises.
For Telecom Operators: We provide submarine capacity below market rates. How do we do this? By aggregating requirements, by having access to unused capacity and engaging with complex multi-swap—this allows us to place bulk orders and secure better prices. Everyone wins!
LIVE TELCO has developed a unique internal capability, allowing us to have access to many operators simultaneously, hence capturing requirements and assets for sale.
We then map offer and demand.
For Satellite Providers: We are working with several satellite and LEO (low Earth orbit) operators and are helping them to acquire teleports around the world, and much more.
We not only provide the land, the fiber connectivity and facilitate relationships with local operators and regulators but we also coordinate on their behalf in terms of site adaptation, antenna installation and operation. We also intervene in their go-to-market and service delivery engagements.
Overall, LEO operators are acting as startups and need flexibility, rapidity and low costs. We can submit proposals within a week or two, anywhere in the Middle East and Africa, and we are also seeing an increase in requests from Europe and Asia; our team is on the ground and multitalented.
For Enterprises: We manage complex global relations on their behalf with large T1 telecom operators. We cover network design, commercial negotiations, implementation, operations and SLAs. With our experience and relationships, we guarantee them the best deal.
From your perspective, what are the key challenges affecting the wholesale segment and how is LIVE TELCO helping to address them?
Global operators are not able to source the ideal capacity at the best price; its either too expensive, or capacity is not available. Due to their heavy process and organizational challenges, they are just missing golden opportunities and end up paying way more!
LIVE TELCO addresses this gap by maintaining a large submarine asset list and can even pre-buy or pre-book any capacity on behalf of operators, gaining time while they secure internal approvals.
We act as a sourcing arm for several operators, and we constantly scan the market for hot deals or capacity that is being released.
The enterprise segment is one of the high-value markets of today. What are the main commercial, technical, and operational strategies that LIVE TELCO handles for enterprises in the Middle East region?
LIVE TELCO can provide connectivity anywhere in the world in just weeks and at prices that are aggressive. We have hundreds of agreements with all local suppliers and relationships at C-level. Being smaller and agile can bring great value to the enterprise market.
We provide VSAT, DIA, MPLS, IP TRANSIT and all types of connectivity globally, especially in difficult countries.
We don’t only rely on SLAs, emails or contracts; it doesn’t work. With our network of local consultants that we call “facilitators,” we can immediately meet suppliers, service providers and regulators as well as local telecom operators, and ensure service gets resolved immediately.
Enterprises can rely on LIVE TELCO to manage their relationships with large global operators, or can also supply local and global connectivity directly from us.
We also provide consultations and help enterprises negotiate their master contracts with global suppliers better and we help them draft better RFPs. We help throughout the selection process and oversee deployments.
What is your outlook on wholesale and enterprise growth in the coming years? What is LIVE TELCO's commitment in line with this?
The market is drastically changing with new entrants such as LEO operators, the over-supply of cables and the commoditization of core capacity that is pushing prices down.
Telecom operators must not fall behind and must adapt their processes. They must give new entrants a chance as this will ultimately help reduce their capacity costs, consequently, helping them offload unused capacity and win LEO operators.
Instead of maintaining complex and expensive legacy networks, enterprises can already benefit from the industry transformation and secure better connectivity, delivered anywhere, at lower costs, without the complication of restrictive contracts or unarchivable SLAs.
LIVE TELCO is already ahead and riding this transformational wave, addressing these very specific gaps and ultimately bringing value to LEO operators, telecom players and global enterprises.
Our recent major wins with LEO operators, governments and telecom operators confirm that the gaps identified can be addressed successfully and can bring great value to the industry, to operators, and to enterprises.
