Financier №4 (40) 2025

How did you get your start in the telecom industry?

I spent eight years in MedTech M&A, focusing on due diligence and financial transactions, before moving into telecom. I started in sales at A1 Telekom Austria, where I was a strategic analyst and worked closely with the CEO during the reintegration of the mobile business. I later joined Vodafone as a regional key account director, managing major accounts for Lufthansa, SAP, and Novartis Europe. I then moved to the Partner Markets team, overseeing regions ranging from the Middle East and North Africa to the Caucasus and Central Asia. It was a remarkable experience spanning 14 years.

Which market required the most adaptation?

Travel teaches you to appreciate the diversity and unique legal systems across countries. Africa is characterized by its energy and openness to business. The Middle East plays a unifying role in the global business community. Central and East Asia boast an educated, hardworking youth population and rapid growth. Europe, meanwhile, faces new economic challenges. For companies like Freedom Telecom International, it is important not to rely on a single region, but to leverage the strengths of each.

Which regulatory models combine national security and innovation?

I am deeply involved in the regulatory field, teaching business diplomacy and law at universities in Vienna, Washington, and Dubai. Regions have different security needs and governance models. Europe’s problem is economic fragmentation, with 740 million people, 27 regulatory regimes, and 120 operators, while the US has 340 million people, one regulator, and three operators. This creates an investment gap of €200 billion. Africa has its own challenges, but they can be addressed by increasing transparency and strict compliance with the law.

What new approaches are required in the age of FinTech and Artificial Intelligence?

AI is transforming the industry by increasing network efficiency and improving customer service, but these solutions are also leading to workforce reductions. Online banking is displacing traditional banking, especially in rural areas where financial institutions lack physical branches. Since telecom is a high-margin business and FinTech is a low-margin business, their structures need to be separated to avoid profit leakage.

How did you reduce energy consumption?

At Vodafone, our priority was to increase the use of solar, hydro, and wind power across Europe. We implemented comprehensive maintenance programs, modern tower management methods, and the latest network technologies, which helped reduce emissions and improve infrastructure resilience.

Is a telecom bubble similar to the dot-com bubble possible?

A telecom bubble is unlikely, but the sector requires sustained investment in infrastructure. The main risk is not inflated valuations, but overpaying for assets. Internet access directly affects GDP per capita, so governments and operators must cooperate in this area; otherwise, networks will grow, but usage will not.

How do you see the sector in ten years?

Satellite technologies will complement, rather than replace, telecom networks. Optimal competition requires two or three operators per country. Growing dependence on vendors such as Huawei, Nokia, and Ericsson calls for closer industry collaboration and the broader adoption of Open RAN*. Data centers and integration with FinTech will become key elements of telecom strategy.

*Open RAN is a mobile network architecture that allows equipment from different manufacturers to be combined.

What distinguishes Freedom Telecom from other companies in the industry?

We combine the strengths of the telecom and FinTech sectors to create truly mutually beneficial partnerships. Freedom stands out for how deeply the “better together” principle is embedded in our DNA, enabling us to deliver win-win solutions for all parties.