Brave New Telco

When Telcos Become Platforms, Infrastructure—and Instruments of Sovereignty

The telecom industry is changing in unexpected ways. In this episode, we look at Poste Italiane's acquisition of TIM and what it tells us about the future of telecom operators.

Why is a postal and financial-services company taking control of a major telco? What can we learn from operators expanding into payments, banking, logistics and digital platforms? And why are governments and state-backed investors increasingly taking stakes in critical telecom and satellite infrastructure?

From TIM and Poste Italiane to Rakuten, stc, BT, Vodafone, Eutelsat and Vodafone Idea, we explore the unusual buyers, platform strategies and growing connection between telecom, finance, logistics and national sovereignty.

A first look at how the boundaries of the telecom industry are being redrawn—and what might come next.