MENA Operators Are Sitting on a Revenue Stream They Are Not Billing For

By Junaid Ahmed, Head of Carrier Relations, CEQUENS

The Business Case No One Is Making Loudly Enough

Every major telecom forum in recent years has focused on the Telco-to-Techco transformation. While much of the discussion centers around cloud, AI, APIs, and digital services, one of the biggest revenue opportunities receives far less attention.

According to the GSMA, nearly 45% of global A2P SMS traffic bypasses legitimate routes. That means almost half of the business messaging traveling across operator networks generates no direct revenue for the operators themselves. Aggregators own the enterprise relationship, route the traffic, and capture the commercial margin while operators provide the infrastructure.

This isn't a future challenge—it's today's operating model across much of the MENA region.

The Aggregator Dependency Problem

The traditional A2P messaging ecosystem was designed around high-volume traffic. Enterprises sought lower messaging costs, aggregators optimized routing, and operators accepted limited visibility into who was sending messages, how traffic was routed, or what commercial value they were losing.

Industry estimates show that between 2020 and 2024, grey routes and A2P fraud resulted in approximately $37.1 billion in global losses for mobile network operators. Beyond measurable fraud, operators also lose long-term value by giving up direct ownership of enterprise customer relationships.

What the Techco Transition Really Requires

For MENA operators, the next stage of digital transformation is less about technology and more about commercial ownership.

Building direct relationships with enterprise customers enables operators to introduce sender verification, AIT and grey-route fraud protection, delivery analytics, and regulatory compliance while recovering revenue previously lost through intermediary networks.

CEQUENS enables this transition by providing operators with direct enterprise onboarding, shared commercial opportunities, and operator-owned customer relationships without requiring them to build an entirely new platform from scratch.

Why Regulated Industries Matter

The highest-value enterprise messaging traffic comes from sectors where compliance is mandatory.

Financial institutions require secure message delivery and complete audit trails. Healthcare organizations depend on verified communications and patient privacy. Government agencies need trusted, traceable messaging infrastructure.

These industries increasingly prefer direct operator relationships over traditional aggregator chains because of the higher standards for security, compliance, and accountability.

The Opportunity Window

The MENA A2P messaging market continues to grow rapidly while regulatory requirements become increasingly strict.

Operators that establish direct enterprise relationships today are creating long-term competitive advantages through stronger customer ownership and higher-value services.

The first practical step is understanding current traffic flows, identifying revenue leakage, and measuring how much enterprise messaging is being monetized. That insight transforms the Telco-to-Techco discussion from a strategic vision into an immediate business opportunity.

Conclusion

The Telco-to-Techco transition is not simply about adopting new technologies—it is about reclaiming ownership of enterprise messaging.

Operators that invest in direct enterprise connectivity, compliance, fraud prevention, and trusted communication infrastructure will be better positioned to increase revenue, strengthen customer relationships, and compete effectively in the evolving MENA telecommunications market.