From Network Maps to Business Maps: Why Telcos Must Democratize Geospatial Intelligence

TL;DR: Telcos are sitting on a goldmine of spatial data—but most of it is locked behind technical tools and inaccessible to the majority of the organization. Operational GIS is critical but not enough. To win, telcos must democratize Geospatial Intelligence across departments, empowering thousands of users to make smarter decisions, faster.

In telecommunications, geography is not just a background element—it is the core of the business. Every antenna, cable, customer, competitor, and opportunity exists in a specific place. Yet, despite the inherently spatial nature of the industry, most telecom operators still reserve Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for a narrow technical audience. The result? A tremendous volume of valuable data sits underutilized, locked away in highly specialized systems.

Operational GIS: The Engine Room of Telecom Networks

Solutions like GE Vernova's Smallworld or IQGeo are indispensable for telecom infrastructure teams. They are the digital blueprints of fiber, copper, coaxial, and radio networks. Engineers rely on them for planning, building, optimizing, and maintaining network assets. They support workflows that are foundational to service continuity and efficiency: fault diagnostics, preventive maintenance, real-time network monitoring, and physical asset management.

But there's a catch: these platforms are designed by engineers, for engineers. Their steep learning curves and technical language alienate most business users. Consequently, data that could fuel strategic and commercial decision-making remains siloed in the operational layer.

[Example analysis] - Mobile Coverage and Fixed Network Customers - Baltimore (US)

Geospatial Intelligence: The Strategic Layer Telcos Are Missing

That’s where Geospatial Intelligence (GeoInt) platforms like Mapidea come in. These tools are not about drawing cables—they are about drawing conclusions. By aggregating data from multiple sources—operational, commercial, demographic, behavioral, competitive—GeoInt platforms give business users the power to think spatially. They allow for:

• Strategic Network Expansion Planning: Where should we invest next? What are the most underserved zones with high demand potential? GeoInt tools can overlay network coverage with population density, income levels, churn hotspots, and more.

• Share of Market & Share of Wallet Analysis: By comparing customer location data with mobile penetration and competitor coverage, telcos can estimate their true market footprint and growth potential at a granular level.

• Location-Based Marketing: Whether it’s targeting students in university areas with mobile bundles or upselling fiber in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification, GeoInt platforms help build spatially-optimized campaigns.

• Sales Territory Optimization: GeoInt enables the drawing of smarter sales zones, balancing workload, customer concentration, and travel time, leading to better performance and coverage.

• Impact Analysis of New Entrants or Competitors: Understanding where a competitor launched and how it correlates with changes in your own churn or NPS can be a game-changer. You can't see this in a spreadsheet—you need a map.

• Retail Footprint Management: Where should we open or close a store? Which points-of-sale are underperforming due to poor location? GeoInt integrates footfall data, network coverage, and consumer profiles for optimal decision-making.

The Collaboration Gap: OSS, BSS, and Everything In Between

One of the most costly inefficiencies in telecom companies is the poor communication between network (OSS) and business (BSS) units. When business teams need network data, they often have to wait days or weeks for engineers to extract and explain it. Even then, the format is often technical and unintelligible.

Ask yourself: how many strategic decisions were delayed because the data was buried in a system only five people know how to use? How much competitive advantage is lost in the gap between operations and business?

Imagine if this data were already curated, simplified, and visualized in a business-friendly Geospatial Intelligence interface. Decision-makers across Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Customer Experience could self-serve geographic insights, without the constant back-and-forth with technical teams. And imagine if network engineers and business analysts could sit together and make expansion decisions based on a shared map, updated in real-time. That’s not a pipe dream. That’s the power of putting GeoInt in the hands of many.

GIS Experts Are Not the Problem. They're the Key.

Let’s be clear: this is not about replacing GIS experts. On the contrary. It’s about freeing them from the burden of “presentations,” Excel exports, and drawing maps that will be screenshotted and lost in someone’s inbox. GIS professionals should be building predictive spatial models, detecting emerging patterns, stress-testing rollout plans, and supporting strategic choices.

With a Geospatial Intelligence platform, they can finally do that—knowing their insights will be broadcasted to a wide, non-technical audience that can take action on them. Their role becomes elevated, not diminished.

[Example analysis] - FTTH Expansion - High Level Demogaphic and Share of Market Analysis

From the Intern to the CEO: GeoInt for Everyone, Everywhere

Geospatial Intelligence must not be an elite tool. It should be as accessible as Excel or PowerPoint. From the junior business analyst fresh out of university to the CEO preparing for a board meeting, GeoInt should be at their fingertips—on the desktop, in the meeting room, and out in the field.

Sales reps should be able to pull up opportunity maps while knocking on doors. Regional managers should visualize performance in real-time during store visits. Executives should review competitive positioning over breakfast before a strategy session.

GeoInt platforms must be mobile, intuitive, and enterprise-ready—because geography happens everywhere, not just at your desk.

Geography as the Sixth Business Sense

Telecom companies already operate with a strong foundation in data. But few have activated geography as a business sense. Just as financial intelligence transformed CFO roles and customer intelligence transformed Marketing, Geospatial Intelligence is the next frontier for C-level decision-making.

Why should only a dozen GIS specialists see the data, when thousands of employees could be making smarter, faster, more contextual decisions with it? Vodafone understood this. By scaling Mapidea across different departments, they made geography part of their daily decision fabric. And they’re not alone. Operators who embed GeoInt into their operational DNA gain a critical edge.

It’s Time to Open the Map

So, here's the challenge: How long will you keep geography locked in a basement full of engineers? When will you finally put maps in the hands of Marketing, Sales, Strategy, CX, and Retail?

In a market defined by tightening margins, relentless competition, and massive data volumes, telcos need to be faster and smarter. That means opening up access to insights. It means recognizing that geography is not just for the network team—it’s for everyone.

Geospatial Intelligence is not an add-on. It's a strategic asset. Democratizing it may be the boldest and smartest move telcos can make this decade.

Pedro Moura
Partner@Mapidea

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