What will everyone be talking about at PTC’26, and what headlines do you need to brush up on to make the most of the event?
This is what our team has been thinking about as we prep for the January conference and outline our annual telecom workshop. (No spoilers on that just yet, but watch this space.)
The good news is that you can borrow from our expert conference planning.
JSA Founder & CEO Jaymie Scotto Cutaia recently sat down with our own Senior Research Manager Brianna Boudreau for a fast, insightful look at the trends shaping global telecom, subsea, and digital infrastructure going into 2026.
Consider this your conference crash course as you wrap your head around the 2026 event agenda.
Impact of AI on Global Networks
- AI as a Demand Driver: The one guarantee is that everyone at PTC is going to be talking about AI. It tops the list of demand drivers for providers, although its exact impact on global networks remains somewhat of a puzzle.
- Data Center Investment Shifts: There are huge investments and capital going into AI, with a focus on data center investment in the United States in locations outside of traditional connectivity hubs that are close to abundant power generation.
- Network Investment Ambiguity: It’s an open question where network investment is most needed; investment in long-haul pieces of the network might be needed if training models pull data from around the world, or metro networks might be needed if data is stored closer to end users.
- New Bandwidth Consumers: AI-focused companies and neocloud operators are starting to build out their global networks and are becoming bigger consumers of international bandwidth
Submarine Cables and Capacity
- Massive Capacity Growth: Submarine cables are always a hot topic, and there is a lot of planned investment, resulting in a massive amount of new capacity coming online over the next few years with a diverse group of owners.
- Investment Value: The value of new submarine cables entering service between 2025 and 2027 is forecasted to reach over $14 billion.
- Market Impact: Key discussion points include the impact of these new systems on routes (especially those connecting to Asia and the Pacific), the competitive landscape, and pricing in the wholesale market.
Network Resilience
- Continued Focus: Achieving network resilience remains a critical and hot topic, particularly following continued outages in regions like the Red Sea.
- Creative Solutions: Discussions will focus on creative solutions for resilience, such as deploying more cables on major routes or establishing connectivity on unique routes, including both subsea and terrestrial options.
The State of Telecom
Catch TeleGeography’s annual telecom workshop on Sunday, January 18 at 2:00 PM HAT. You can brush up on where we left off last year ⬇️
The Research Behind the Workshop
Want access to the data behind this presentation?
Our annual workshop is informed by several core research services:
- Transport Networks Research Service: Data and analysis on long-haul networks and the undersea cable market, with forecasts of international bandwidth supply, demand, prices, and revenues
- IP Networks Research Service: The most complete source of data and analysis about international internet capacity, traffic, service providers, ASN connectivity, and pricing.
- Data Center Research Service: The most comprehensive source of intelligence on data center infrastructure and ecosystems.
- Network Pricing Database: An interactive suite of modules that correspond to distinct network pricing data sets. This tools is home to millions of data points on everything from business broadband to wavelength pricing.