Original article Total Telecom:Read More
Interview
At this year’s DTW conference in Copenhagen, we spoke to triPica CEO Mathieu Horn to discuss how eSIM and AI-powered BSS is empowering customers to create hyper personalised usage plans
The telecoms industry has long struggled with stagnant growth and razor thin margins, with stale “more data for less” packages doing little to win market share or increase average revenue per user. But despite this lacklustre performance, most telcos are still loath to change their ways.
For Mathieu Horn, CEO of Paris-based BSS provider triPica, clinging to legacy thinking is a clear mistake. Operators must move away from their pure focus on data and instead provide customers with more flexibility and a wider range of options.
“We need to help operators monetise their customers’ digital lifestyles with propositions that give them what they actually want,” said Horn. “People are tired of simply more and more data. That’s not the way the industry is going to get back to growth.”
triPica CEO Mathieu Horn
Digital-first brands and customisation
For many years, telcos have offered diverse packages focussing on range of user demographics, whether from gamers to parents. But while this is a step in the right direction, it is a half-measure when more dynamic, hyper personalised packages – created by the subscribers themselves – can be achieved with the right IT stack.
This is what triPica’s BSS platform does: it supports eSIM and digital onboarding, allowing telcos to quickly deliver the exact services the customer needs.
The company’s technology is already underpinning successful challenger brands like Yoodo by Celcom in Malaysia, where customers can build their own plan, pay for it, confirm their identity digitally, and download the eSIM, all in roughly three minutes.
“Want more data but zero texts? No problem,” explains Horn. “Hit the button to apply changes instantly or from the next billing cycle. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, there’s an AI recommendation tool that analyses your usage, explains its suggestion, and helps you make an informed decision. That’s real value.”
This level of control and responsiveness reflects a broader shift in user expectations. In the age of instant everything, operators can no longer afford to deliver slow, rigid customer experiences.
“Sadly, we’re used to these customer journeys taking a long time,” said Horn. “For example, you land in a foreign country, and you want to buy a roaming package, but the FAQ says it might take 24 hours to activate. That’s just too long. With us, you press buy, you get it. That immediacy is essential. It builds trust.”
With greater customisation also comes greater options for making a specific brand unique. Working with Bouygues Telecom in France, for example, triPica helped to launch Source Mobile, an eco-focussed mobile plan that challenged customers to use less of their data package.
“Source is making users aware of their digital CO2 footprint,” Horn said. “The unused data at the end of the month becomes a kind of digital currency, which users can donate to selected sustainable projects, like planting a forest. Bouygues then funds those initiatives directly on the customer’s behalf.”
For sustainability-conscious customers, such a proposition is very attractive, providing significant differentiation compared to rival telcos.
A risk or insurance for the future?
Of course, launching a new brand like this is no small feat. At a time when telco margins are small, many Western telcos are proving slow to adopt this sort of change. In emerging markets, however, this appetite for agility appears to be higher.
“I’m surprised how agile and fast they are,” Horn said. “In Europe, there’s a sense of paralysis, of not knowing what to do. Everyone is walking the well-trodden path.”
Horn’s advice? Start small. Launch a digital brand outside the main organisation and let it prove itself.
“Telcos need to be brave if they want growth. We’ve had customers launch digital sub-brands to defend against aggressive new entrants like Iliad and now those sub-brands are outperforming their legacy business.”
In fact, Horn argues that the real risk for telcos lies in not transforming their propositions in time. In a hypercompetitive landscape saturated with homogenous data offers, differentiated service models are increasingly necessary for success.
“MNOs need to change. Launching a new digital brand can be done quickly and cost-effectively, delivering real value for customers,” Horn concluded. “It’s very cheap insurance for the future. Test it, learn from it, scale it up. That’s how a telco can remain competitive.”
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