I have had a lot of discussions with channel partners in the last few weeks. One thing is clear: the landscape of carriers is changing. Consolidation makes our life miserable. Name one carrier that ever got better after a merger?
Telecom carriers are in a state:
- Zayo is for sale. An one large shareholder points out the carrier’s issues in a letter.
- CenturyLink is in integration hell after buying Level3. The cultures don’t mesh. And they are shedding people left and right.
- GTT has the same problem as C-Link (too many mergers).
- Windstream is in BK. Cutting agency agreements at least 15%.
- Verizon has re-orged twice in a year. There have been more execs exiting.
- AT&T is so automated, it has become a nightmare to deal with.
In the business network game, this is what a customer has to choose from. Sure, Comcast and Spectrum are available for cheap bandwidth but nothing complicated or that crosses state lines.
As a telecom advisor, I have to figure out where the lit fiber is to reduce install headaches. (Then I have to explain to the carrier that they do actually have fiber there!)
Today, I am more of a Project Manager than ever before. I have to project manage every install. Keep each project moving forward. Then deal with the post-install headaches – like billing errors, wrong speeds, no BGP, etc. It is always something. This was a lot easier (and paid better) a short while ago.
Meanwhile, every company is shouting sell my UCaaS, my SD-WAN, my Security. Dude, if you are this hard to deal with on Network, do you think I even want to deal with anything advanced from your messed up org?
This is a huge opportunity for the former CLECs. The mission statement of the CLECs used to be that they were a nice alternative to the ILECs. Then it became “We Suck Less.” Then the CLECs all started to die/transform.
NITEL, AireSpring, Bullseye, TPx, Mettel, even Granite – this is your time. You have contracts with 2 or more of these carriers. Take the headache away. Grow your business. The window is wide open. Don’t miss it!
Despite the Wish List that we sell UC, SD-WAN, et al, a majority of the sales are still network. Take that business while you can. You can upsell / cross-sell later.
For Agents: business buyers need us more than ever to assist in taking that telecom pain away!
BTW, I saw yet another keynote that said, “Change your business or Die!” It would be great to have add-on sales to increase ARPU, etc. It would be great if I thought the providers pitching the new stuff could actually deliver it with a positive customer outcome. I’m not confident of that yet. Also, it is a pain in the ass enough to just deal with voice and network!
Until you see an actual Agent standing on a stage saying you are going to die, keep doing you!