Prediction 1: Mobile Data Becomes the Channel’s Core Growth Engine
2026 will be the year mobile data becomes the heartbeat of channel growth. As traditional voice and broadband margins tighten, mobile connectivity is driving new recurring revenues and doubling EBITDA for partners who have embraced it.
Resellers who once focused solely on fixed services are now winning multi-site mobile data deals that deliver stickier relationships and long-term recurring value. The PSTN switch-off is accelerating this shift, and partners who build credible mobile data propositions now will own that customer base for the next decade.
Prediction 2: Multi-Network Resilience Becomes a Business Imperative
After several high-profile MNO outages in 2025, resilience has moved from nice-to-have to non-negotiable.
Businesses can no longer tolerate single-network dependency. From payment terminals to CCTV and IoT sensors, downtime now equals lost revenue and reputational damage. Multi-network SIMs and intelligent routing via MVNOs like Jola’s RoamNet give partners the ability to deliver genuine business continuity — something the single carriers simply can’t match.
Prediction 3: IoT Moves from Niche to Normal
IoT has finally crossed the chasm. It’s no longer a specialist proposition — it’s a standard part of any forward-thinking connectivity strategy.
Partners are connecting everything from digital signage and lifts to transport fleets and smart city infrastructure. With eSIM technology and multi-network aggregation, barriers to entry are gone. At Jola, we’re seeing partners embed IoT into every customer conversation, not as a side project but as a mainstream revenue driver.
Prediction 4: Cybersecurity Becomes a Core Selling Point for Connectivity
The high-profile cyberattacks of 2025 have changed customer expectations. In 2026, secure connectivity will be as important as fast connectivity.
Enterprises now view every connected device as a potential threat vector. For the channel, that means mobile data propositions must evolve — incorporating private APNs, real-time threat detection and mitigation, and SIM-level security. Jola’s partners are increasingly differentiating on security, using our managed private data networks to help customers segment, monitor and protect their IoT estates.
Prediction 5: Automation Defines the Next Competitive Advantage
Automation has become the great differentiator in channel connectivity. Partners who can quote, order and manage services instantly are leaving manual processes behind.
With platforms like Mobile Manager, Jola partners and their customers can activate SIMs, set alerts and control usage in real time — removing friction and protecting margin. The next evolution will be AI-driven management: platforms that can predict overages, suggest optimised tariffs and flag anomalies before they impact profitability.
Prediction 6: AI-Driven Partner Enablement Accelerates Growth
AI is about to become a silent sales assistant — surfacing hidden opportunities in partner customer bases.
Through programmes like Jola’s Mobile-data Revenue Generator™ (MRG™), partners are already using analytics to identify which customers still rely on PSTN or unmanaged mobile devices. The next step is automated insight: systems that tell partners exactly where to focus their sales effort, what to offer, and when to engage. That’s where we’ll see exponential growth in 2026.
Prediction 7: Valuations Follow the Data
We’re seeing investors place a premium on recurring mobile data and IoT revenues — often valuing them at twice the multiple of traditional voice income.
This isn’t just about monthly profit; it’s about building strategic enterprise value. Partners who can demonstrate recurring, diversified mobile data revenue streams are commanding higher valuations and stronger acquisition interest.
Closing Insight
The channel’s future is mobile, intelligent, secure and automated. Partners who can combine all four will define the next generation of the UK telecoms industry.
Jola’s role is to make that transition easy — delivering multi-network, automated and secure mobile data solutions that enable our partners to compete and win against the carriers themselves.
About Jola
Jola is an award-winning, supplier of business communications, specialising in mobile data SIMs. Jola sells on a wholesale basis to MSPs, ISPs, IT support companies and telecommunications resellers. These channel partners supply solutions to public sector organisations and enterprises worldwide.
To find out more about partnering with Jola, request our partner pack.
