From connectivity to co-creation: Shaping the next wave of telecom wholesale platforms
By Charlotte Kan
Mar 10, 2026
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Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (00:07):
Thank you for joining us at a very busy Mobile World Congress 2026, where we're going to discuss wholesale platforms with our guests. We are joined by Alex Lorette, who's Director of the Wholesale Unit at Proximus. Proximus is a Belgian telecom operator. Thank you for joining us, Alex.
Alex Lorette, Proximus (00:24):
Thank you.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (00:25):
And Atul Saraf, Atul is Comviva Head of Europe and America. Thank you for being with us. So let's start with a question for you, Alex, because wholesale is evolving rapidly. How do you see its role change within telecom growth strategies today?
Alex Lorette, Proximus (00:43):
Yeah. So wholesale traditionally started as a regulated business, interconnection business. And what we see is that with evolution of the world from, let's say, competition to co-petition and more collaboration, at least at Proximus side, we took the choice to really build kind of an open network ecosystem where we are really opening assets, which are not only connectivity, but other types of assets. It can also be platforms. And we opened these or APIs and we opened these assets to not only traditional operators, but also aggregators, IT integrators. So we changed the two dimensions of the portfolio. We changed actually the value proposal we create, and we also changed, let's say, the customer base that we address with wholesale. So to summarise, I would say that wholesale is becoming kind of a super B2B business.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (01:36):
Well, thank you very much for that, Alex. Now, Atul, we're going to talk about your collaboration, which really looks like true co-creation here between an operator and a technology partner like you. So why is it important and what matters when you are reimagining wholesale platforms?
Atul Saraf, Comviva (01:53):
If we look at the way the wholesale business is evolving at this moment, the way previously connectivity was purely sold as bundles, I mean, you could buy it and you go ahead. But as the networks evolve, as more products come in and they are getting more integrated into a fabric, it is more important to have digital systems and platforms that actually are able to consume that. So we work to build a platform. Where the collaboration happens is when we start integrating the roadmap requirements ahead of time and make sure that the platforms are enabled and ready to use just when the products are getting launched. And that's where I see huge value of being a partner.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (02:38):
That's what true co-creation looks like. Thank you for that, Atul. I have a question for both of you to conclude this interview. Looking ahead, how do you see wholesale evolve as digital ecosystems and AI expand very quickly?
Alex Lorette, Proximus (02:54):
So we move from, let's say, a world where we had very cumbersome interaction and heavy interactions to a world where interactions are more and more automated via APIs. And our vision is that we want to bring all these APIs on the marketplace. So it's not an open marketplace, of course, because it's a kind of B2B market, but it's kind of a set where our customers can get into this closed environment and really buy from a platform-based marketplace and have really digital interaction in a smooth way. So that's really our vision, and that's where also at the end AI agents can help in even getting more fluidity in these types of interactions we have with wholesale partners.
Atul Saraf, Comviva (03:36):
Indeed, adding onto what Alex is saying. So as we start infusing AI into this experience layer, what has traditionally happened is the B2C part of it, the consumer-focused part has seen a lot of evolution and a lot of experience enhancement, whereas the B2B or the wholesale part was left behind. But with infusion of AI and more agents coming around, you are able to build conversational agents or any agentic solutions into the marketplace and able to consume the products faster and better.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (04:09):
Well, Atul, Alex, many thanks for all your insights here today. Pleasure. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on how wholesale platforms will be evolving as so much technology is changing at the moment. Many thanks to both of you.
Atul Saraf, Comviva (04:20):
Thank you. Pleasure.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (04:21):
Thank you.
Alex Lorette, Proximus (04:21):
Thank you.
Thank you for joining us at a very busy Mobile World Congress 2026, where we're going to discuss wholesale platforms with our guests. We are joined by Alex Lorette, who's Director of the Wholesale Unit at Proximus. Proximus is a Belgian telecom operator. Thank you for joining us, Alex.
Alex Lorette, Proximus (00:24):
Thank you.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (00:25):
And Atul Saraf, Atul is Comviva Head of Europe and America. Thank you for being with us. So let's start with a question for you, Alex, because wholesale is evolving rapidly. How do you see its role change within telecom growth strategies today?
Alex Lorette, Proximus (00:43):
Yeah. So wholesale traditionally started as a regulated business, interconnection business. And what we see is that with evolution of the world from, let's say, competition to co-petition and more collaboration, at least at Proximus side, we took the choice to really build kind of an open network ecosystem where we are really opening assets, which are not only connectivity, but other types of assets. It can also be platforms. And we opened these or APIs and we opened these assets to not only traditional operators, but also aggregators, IT integrators. So we changed the two dimensions of the portfolio. We changed actually the value proposal we create, and we also changed, let's say, the customer base that we address with wholesale. So to summarise, I would say that wholesale is becoming kind of a super B2B business.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (01:36):
Well, thank you very much for that, Alex. Now, Atul, we're going to talk about your collaboration, which really looks like true co-creation here between an operator and a technology partner like you. So why is it important and what matters when you are reimagining wholesale platforms?
Atul Saraf, Comviva (01:53):
If we look at the way the wholesale business is evolving at this moment, the way previously connectivity was purely sold as bundles, I mean, you could buy it and you go ahead. But as the networks evolve, as more products come in and they are getting more integrated into a fabric, it is more important to have digital systems and platforms that actually are able to consume that. So we work to build a platform. Where the collaboration happens is when we start integrating the roadmap requirements ahead of time and make sure that the platforms are enabled and ready to use just when the products are getting launched. And that's where I see huge value of being a partner.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (02:38):
That's what true co-creation looks like. Thank you for that, Atul. I have a question for both of you to conclude this interview. Looking ahead, how do you see wholesale evolve as digital ecosystems and AI expand very quickly?
Alex Lorette, Proximus (02:54):
So we move from, let's say, a world where we had very cumbersome interaction and heavy interactions to a world where interactions are more and more automated via APIs. And our vision is that we want to bring all these APIs on the marketplace. So it's not an open marketplace, of course, because it's a kind of B2B market, but it's kind of a set where our customers can get into this closed environment and really buy from a platform-based marketplace and have really digital interaction in a smooth way. So that's really our vision, and that's where also at the end AI agents can help in even getting more fluidity in these types of interactions we have with wholesale partners.
Atul Saraf, Comviva (03:36):
Indeed, adding onto what Alex is saying. So as we start infusing AI into this experience layer, what has traditionally happened is the B2C part of it, the consumer-focused part has seen a lot of evolution and a lot of experience enhancement, whereas the B2B or the wholesale part was left behind. But with infusion of AI and more agents coming around, you are able to build conversational agents or any agentic solutions into the marketplace and able to consume the products faster and better.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (04:09):
Well, Atul, Alex, many thanks for all your insights here today. Pleasure. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on how wholesale platforms will be evolving as so much technology is changing at the moment. Many thanks to both of you.
Atul Saraf, Comviva (04:20):
Thank you. Pleasure.
Charlotte Kan, TelecomTV (04:21):
Thank you.
Alex Lorette, Proximus (04:21):
Thank you.
Please note that video transcripts are provided for reference only – content may vary from the published video or contain inaccuracies.
Alex Lorette, Proximus & Atul Saraf, Comviva
At MWC26, Alex Lorette of Proximus and Atul Saraf of Comviva discuss the shift from traditional wholesale platform models in the telecom sector to innovative, AI-enhanced digital ecosystems. They explore the significance of open network ecosystems, the role of collaboration in reimagining wholesale platforms, and the future integration of AI to improve business-to-business interactions.
Recorded March 2026
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