How infrastructure automation accelerates growth for ISPs, Carriers, and OTTs

In an increasingly competitive telecommunications market, ISPs, mobile operators and OTT providers face the challenge of rapidly expanding their services while controlling costs and maintaining quality. The answer to this dilemma lies in a model that is transforming the industry: infrastructure neutral communications (InfraCo) powered by advanced automation. According to McKinsey, this infrastructure sharing approach can reduce CAPEX by 15-40% and OPEX by 10-25%, while significantly accelerating the time-to-market of new services.

What is an InfraCo and why is it strategic to your growth?

An InfraCo is a specialized provider that builds, operates and maintains telecommunications infrastructure in a carrier-neutral manner, allowing multiple carriers, ISPs and OTTs to use it simultaneously. Think of it as the telecom equivalent of a shared industrial park: world-class infrastructure available to all, without the need for each company to build its own.

The strategic value:

• Conversion of CAPEX to OPEX: Instead of investing millions in proprietary infrastructure, network capacity is accessed by paying only for what is used.
• Accelerated geographic expansion: Enter new markets in weeks, not years.
• Focus on core business: Dedicate resources to innovation and customer experience, not to maintaining and operating towers and fiber.
• Scalability on demand: Grow or reduce capacity as business needs dictate.
  
  

Automation as a value multiplier for your operations

InfraCo's are adopting some automation technologies that radically transform how connectivity services can be consumed and managed, among them:

Instant provisioning via SDN With software-defined networking, new circuits can be requested or bandwidths can be changed via a web portal or API. What used to require weeks of coordination and technical visits can now happen in minutes. For an ISP expanding into a new city, this means being able to activate services the same day it closes a contract with a business customer.

Unprecedented flexibility with NFV Virtualization of network functions allows services such as firewalls, load balancers or WAN optimizers to be activated without additional hardware. A mobile operator can scale up its firewall capacity during a mass event and scale down afterwards, paying only for peak usage hours.

Zero-Touch Provisioning for speed and accuracy Automatic activation eliminates human error and accelerates mass deployments. When an OTT needs to expand its CDN to 50 new locations, each point auto-configures itself as it connects, reducing deployment from months to days.

Real-time visibility and control Intelligent dashboards and APIs give you full control over your shared infrastructure. Monitor performance, adjust capacities and receive predictive alerts, all from your NOC without the need to manage the physical infrastructure.

Specific benefits by type of operation

For a regional or national ISP:

• Compete with the big boys: Access international backbone and last mile capacity without prohibitive investments.
• Rapid launch of business services: Offer MPLS, SD-WAN and dedicated connectivity with high availability SLAs.
• Agile territorial expansion: Enter new cities leveraging existing infrastructure.

If you are a telecom operator:

• Optimized 5G deployment: Share tower and backhaul costs while maintaining service differentiation.
• Dynamic network slicing: Create IoT, enterprise or consumer specific virtual networks over the same infrastructure
• Reduced OPEX: Eliminate redundancies and automatically optimize routes

 

According to industry data, mobile operators sharing active infrastructure can achieve combined CAPEX and OPEX savings in the range of 30-40%.

In an OTT:

• Instant Edge Presence: Deploy content close to end users without building data centers.
• Elastic scalability: Handle traffic peaks (live events, launches) without over-provisioning
• Latency Optimization: Reduce latency up to 60% with intelligent routing and distributed points of presence

How InfraCo automation solves operational challenges

Challenge: "We need to grow fast but CAPEX is prohibitive".

Solution: Pay-as-you-go model that converts multi-million dollar investments into predictable operating costs

Result: Freeing up capital to invest in customer acquisition and service development

Challenge: "Procurement lead times are causing us to miss opportunities".

Solution: Automated activation that reduces weeks to hours

Result: Ability to respond to RFPs and close business that was previously lost due to lead times.

Challenge: "Technical complexity diverts resources away from innovation".

Solution: Simplified management through portals and APIs

Result: Your technical team focused on creating value, not maintaining infrastructure.

Challenge: "We need national presence but it is too costly".

Solution: National network already deployed and ready to use

Result: Instant coverage without construction investment

Enabling technologies you need to know about

To get the most out of an automated InfraCo, it is important to understand the key technologies:

RESTful APIs and self-management portals.

Multi-domain orchestration

Analytics and artificial intelligence

Integrated security

Considerations for choosing the right InfraCo partner

Not all InfraCo's are the same. When evaluating options, consider:

Level of automation

Are the APIs well documented and stable?
How quicklycan you provision new services?

Coverage and capacity

Presence in your current and future target markets
Redundancy and alternative routes
Ability to upgrade without interruption

Business model

Flexibility in contracts (avoid rigid long-term commitments)
Transparent pricing
Pay-as-you-go options vs. dedicated capacity

Support and SLAs

24x7 availability in your language
SLAs that support your customer commitments
Clear escalation procedures

Technology roadmap

Plans for evolution to 5G, edge computing, network slicing

Continuous investment in automation

Openness to co-innovation

Future trends in automation for neutral infrastructures

Industry trends are clear:

By 2027, McKinsey projects that 5G B2B revenue will reach $116.7 billion, growing at an annual rate of 17%

Distributed edge computing will be unaffordable without shared models

Network sharing in 5G: McKinsey says three operators sharing small cell infrastructure can save up to 50% each

Environmental sustainability will demand resource optimization through sharing

Organizations that adopt automated InfraCo models today will be better positioned to:

• Capture market opportunities faster
• Maintain competitive cost structures
• Innovate without the constraints of legacy infrastructure
• Scale globally without operational complexity

Next steps to transformation

Assess current situation

• What percentage of your revenue is spent on maintaining infrastructure?
• How many opportunities are you missing due to deployment times?
• Is your infrastructure limiting your innovation?

Define your priorities

• Cost reduction vs. agility vs. coverage
• Target markets for expansion
• New services you want to launch

Explore options

• Compare InfraCo models in your region
• Request demos and proofs of concept
• Talk to peers who have already migrated

Plan the transition

• Start with non-critical services
• Measure results objectively
• Scale based on proven successes

The transformation to automated InfraCo models is not just a technology trend, it is a strategic decision that defines future competitiveness in telecommunications. Organizations that understand and act on this opportunity will be better equipped to serve their customers, grow sustainably and lead in the digital economy.

About InterNexa

InterNexa is an ISA Group company with more than 25 years of experience operating neutral telecommunications infrastructure in Colombia and Peru. Our network connects cities and enables the digital growth of ISPs, operators and OTTs in the region. For more perspectives on the future of telecommunications, visit blog.internexa.com.

References and sources consulted:

1. B2B Telecommunication Market Trends & Forecast 2025-2035 - Future Market Insights.
   URL: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/b2b-telecommunication-market
2. The core connectivity opportunity in B2B telecom - McKinsey & Company
   URL: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/seizing-the-core-connectivity-opportunity-in-b2b-telecom
3. Playing to win in B2B telecom - McKinsey & Company
   URL: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/playing-to-win-in-b2b-telecom
4. Tech and telecom B2B buying trends: 2024 market outlook - McKinsey & Company
   URL: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/technology-and-telecommunications-b2b-customer-buying-trends-bright-horizons-with-some-warning-signs
5. Telecom Network Infrastructure Market Size & Share 2025-2035 - Future Market Insights
   URL: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/telecom-network-infrastructure-market