Voice AI Opens a New Route to Telco Differentiation and Revenue

At Mavenir's October 2026 analyst event, speech Artificial Intelligence (AI) provider Sanas highlighted declining voice Average Revenue per User (ARPU), competition from applications such as WhatsApp, and call-quality issues as reasons for operators to rethink their voice AI strategies.

Advances in real-time speech processing, conversational AI, and voice-based fraud detection are making it possible to introduce intelligent features directly into calls. These technologies can support live translation, speech enhancement, AI call screening, and automated voice assistance, expanding what operators can offer through traditional calling services.

The opportunity is to build additional services around an existing mobile subscription and use voice as another source of differentiation. Integrating these capabilities into operator infrastructure could let telcos reach subscribers through existing calling services, without requiring a separate app installation. Consumer services could support premium subscriptions, whereas automated business communications and fraud prevention offer opportunities to generate revenue from enterprise customers.

Mobile plans have traditionally competed on coverage, data allowances, and price. Voice AI adds features operators can offer, including clearer calls in noisy environments, live translation, and protection against fraud calls. The phone operators already control your phone number, call routing, and billing. Mavenir and Sanas described AI capabilities integrated into the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core as potentially reaching subscribers through native calling on supported devices without a separate app installation.

Operators could offer capabilities like real-time translation and personalized AI help as extra services or include them in more expensive plans. However, they should first establish if people are actually willing to pay for them. The main goal here is to figure out which features are worth paying more for and which ones make the basic mobile service more valuable. Basic call enhancement and fraud protection may be expected as part of a mobile subscription. These features could still justify investment if they improve customer satisfaction and reduce churn, even without generating direct revenue.

Enterprise services offer a more identifiable buyer and a clearer way to measure returns. For example, AI receptionists can  answer phone calls, book appointments, and take care of regular customer requests. Multilingual voice services can help businesses serve customers across languages. They also can use transcription and call summaries to reduce the amount of administrative work they have to do. To monetize these services, companies can offer them as part of a monthly subscription or charge customers based on how much they use them. Businesses can assess their value against tangible outcomes, including fewer missed calls, reduced call-handling costs, and improved customer response times.

Fraud prevention can create new business opportunities for operators beyond their current customer base. Mavenir's CallShield uses AI and real-time analytics to identify fraudulent calls, robocalling, and caller ID spoofing across operator networks. A broader opportunity exists in exposing network signals to third parties for fraud prevention. Ericsson describes how banks can use operator Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to check call status, call forwarding, and recent Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swaps before approving suspicious transactions. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative is also standardizing similar APIs.

The larger risk is that operators invest in voice AI but capture little of its value. When voice AI is connected to the network, phone companies can play a role in directing calls, approving services, managing what subscribers are allowed to do, and sending bills. However, the AI service might still rely on models and platforms from other companies, which control how things are organized, personalized, and the way users interact with the service. If another company owns these parts, the operator risks becoming a connectivity and infrastructure supplier to a service in which customer relationship and value sit elsewhere.

Operators should prioritize AI receptionists and multilingual communications for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) that lack customer service teams. By offering these services as part of a package deal with business connectivity or as a monthly subscription, operators can make them more accessible. Early deployments should demonstrate measurable improvements in call handling, missed inquiries, and operating costs before operators scale their commercial offers. Financial services should be an early target for network-based fraud prevention. Insurance, retail, and healthcare also offer additional opportunities for AI receptionists and automated customer communications, including claims handling, transaction support, and appointment scheduling. Operators should prioritize sectors where there is a clear buyer and a measurable business benefit.

Consumer voice AI requires a more selective approach. For example, features like live translation and personalized call assistance may support premium subscriptions, but operators should test willingness to pay before committing to widespread deployment. On the other hand, add-ons like call enhancement and fraud protection might not make money on their own but may have greater value as subscription differentiators and retention tools. The key is for operators to figure out which features people are willing to pay more for and which ones they just expect to get as part of their regular mobile subscription.

Control of the service is equally important. Partnerships with AI vendors can accelerate deployment, but operators should retain control of subscriber access, service orchestration, pricing, and billing. They should also avoid becoming dependent on a single AI provider, maintaining the flexibility to change models as costs and capabilities evolve. Without that control, telcos risk strengthening AI vendors' customer relationships and capturing little of the resulting revenue. The operators best positioned to benefit will be those that can connect their existing network position to services with identifiable buyers and a sustainable business model.