How AI and Fintech Are Reshaping the Telecommunications Market

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Artificial intelligence has become a major driver of a new wave of transformation in financial services and mobile telecommunications.

The synergy between these industries is creating products that can adapt to individual users, enhance security, and improve connection quality. At the FINNEXT Asia forum, Sergey Volkov, CEO of SberMobile, explained how AI is reshaping business models and the customer experience, opening new opportunities for the markets in Russia and Uzbekistan.

From Early MVNOs to Ecosystem Integration

Back in 2017, the launch of virtual mobile operators (MVNOs) within the banking sector seemed niche, with only a few projects worldwide. Around the same time, Sber in Russia became one of the first to integrate telecommunications into fintech.

Over the years, practice has shown that joint models provide a strong boost to both industries, a trend that has been actively developing in countries ranging from Japan to Kenya.

The reason is simple but powerful: by launching a virtual operator, a bank gains access to a vast array of real-time data available in the network. Customer profiles are enriched with information about behavior, typical routes, and how and where digital services are used.

This data enables the creation of more precise scenarios and the development of highly demanded products—from personalized offers to complex services that combine finance, travel, shopping, entertainment, and loyalty programs. For the operator, participation in such a model means that telecommunications ceases to be a standalone service and becomes a natural part of a larger ecosystem, the first point of interaction serving as the gateway into it.

Internet connectivity has long become a basic resource. Real competition now shifts to the products and customer journeys built on top of telecom infrastructure. This is where the transition to the new Telecom 2.0 business model begins.

In the evolving market, the key value proposition is no longer just minutes or gigabytes, but access to a comprehensive ecosystem of services under a single contract. The future lies in individualized bundles, where connectivity, streaming subscriptions, loyalty programs, and AI-driven services are combined into “combo packages” tailored to each person or family.

AI as a Driver of Transformation

The adoption of artificial intelligence in fintech and telecommunications is no longer a futuristic concept. AI-powered technologies already ensure network stability, monitor infrastructure such as cell towers and data centers, accelerate routine tasks, reduce team workloads, and increase decision-making accuracy.

A key focus area is call security. In Russia, operators use AI to analyze numbers and traffic patterns to detect suspicious calls in advance, block dangerous connections, and warn subscribers of potential risks.

In 2025, Uzbek mobile operators joined this trend, implementing anti-spoofing measures to block calls from fake numbers.

These internal transformations are typically invisible to subscribers, who simply experience more stable, secure connections, faster internet access, and higher-quality service. The next stage, however, will directly engage the end consumer.

From Reactive Chatbots to Proactive AI Agents

Today, most users interact with AI in a reactive way: entering a chat, asking a question, and receiving a response. This model requires users to initiate and formulate a request. Yet daily life involves numerous tasks suitable for full delegation to a digital assistant: planning vacations, managing household budgets, finding optimal loans, selecting extracurricular activities for children, and more. This creates a space for the development of proactive AI agents.

Deep personalization of this kind requires extensive data, which can be provided by an ecosystem of diverse services. Telecom data informs context of communication and movement, banks provide insights into income and expenses, and marketplaces and other online services reveal consumption habits. If such an assistant operates within the secure infrastructure of a telecom operator and bank, it can automatically handle dozens of daily tasks. For example, Google’s Gemini Agent already offers functionality for executing complex tasks.

The market for such AI agents is emerging and showing steady growth. One possible future scenario is subscription models designed not for individuals, but for AI agents—where payment is not for gigabytes, but for the right of a digital assistant to access the network and utilize telecom data.

Uzbekistan: A Market Ready for AI-Fintech-Telecom Solutions

In recent years, Uzbekistan has made significant strides toward a digital economy: launching startup support programs, creating tax incentives for AI and data center projects, and becoming a technological hub attracting global talent and investment.

Meanwhile, digital service consumption is rapidly growing. International consultants estimate that Uzbekistan’s e-commerce market could reach US$2 billion by 2027. The annual growth of cashless transactions is projected at 22%, while POS credit and BNPL transactions are expected to quadruple.

Internet penetration in households exceeds 93%, mobile subscribers number over 36 million, and operators’ primary revenue sources remain mobile connectivity and broadband. This creates a strong foundation for collaboration between telecom operators, financial institutions, and IT companies in building next-generation services.

Under these conditions, the same solution classes already tested in Russia are becoming relevant: fintech-telecom integration and service ecosystems, AI for network and infrastructure monitoring, unified anti-fraud systems, multi-layer protection against voice scams, and, eventually, fully functional AI agents within ecosystems.

Uzbekistan is now at a stage of digitalization where basic infrastructure exists: coverage, affordable mobile internet, and a rapidly developing fintech sector. The country has a young population, an ambitious AI strategy, and a clear business demand for new growth models.

Projects that combine telecom and fintech data not only provide a technological advantage but also deliver real economic benefits—from reduced fraud losses to new revenue streams.

Sergey Volkov, CEO of SberMobile