Market-entry and growth opportunity analysis for a major utilities client
Monetising under-utilised network assets
Our client operated an extensive optical fibre network supporting critical grid operations, but large parts of the footprint were under-utilised. Without a clear commercial strategy, dark fibre and related wholesale services were leaving money on the table.
Leadership needed to understand where the network could credibly play, which services to launch first, and what it would take - technically and organisationally - to enter and scale in adjacent telecoms markets without distracting from core utility operations.
Opportunity analysis and market sizing
We completed an end-to-end assessment of network assets and routes, mapping current capacity, reach and upgrade paths against demand hotspots. We identified and prioritised potential service offerings - dark fibre leasing, lit services (wavelength/Ethernet), backhaul and cross connects - using criteria such as market size, competitive intensity, implementation complexity and margin potential.
In parallel, we reviewed skills, processes and operating model implications: sales motion, service design, provisioning/assurance, and SLAs appropriate to carrier class expectations. We produced competitor scans, indicative price books, and a high-level investment case covering both Capex and Opex, route upgrades and customer acquisition. Key outputs included market entry options (direct/wholesale/partner), a go-to-market plan, and governance guardrails to protect core network reliability.
Investment clarity and key decision drivers
- Monetisation blueprint defined: priority corridors, target customers and an entry portfolio sequenced for fast, low risk launch
- Evidence based investment case: quantified financial impacts and plain-language sensitivity analyses to support Go/No Go and phased funding decisions
- Target state operating model: clarified capability gaps (commercial, provisioning, assurance) and a pragmatic plan to close them
- Risk-aware execution plan: governance and SLAs shaped to preserve grid critical reliability while unlocking new revenue streams
