How Telstra & Accenture Will Drive a Telco AI Revolution

In January Telstra and Accenture announced a proposal for one of the industry’s biggest joint ventures to drive AI-based reinvention at scale and accelerate the telco firm’s data and AI roadmap. 

The joint venture, steered by global specialists from Telstra and Accenture’s data and AI teams, would build on Telstra’s work to create a world-class data and AI ecosystem, modernise its adoption and use of the technology and transform customer experience. 

Following a period of consultation with Telstra’s employees and core data and AI workforce based in Australia and India, the two companies have finalised details of the joint venture. Employees will commence their roles and work will begin from April 2025. 

Announcing this update on LinkedIn, Karthik Narain, Group Chief Executive, Technology and Chief Technology Officer at Accenture, says: “It is a massive day for Telstra, Australia, the telecom industry and for Accenture. I am thrilled to announce the Telstra and Accenture Data & AI Joint Venture is officially live.”

Narain says the agreement will elevate both companies’ deep engineering and industry collaboration and propel Telstra to become an AI-fuelled organisation and global leader in data and AI.

Reinventing business through AI

The joint venture is set to accelerate Telstra’s data and AI roadmap, extending its network leadership, delivering seamless and better experiences for customers, modernising data and AI platforms and embedding responsible AI by design. 

Expanding on this, Narain explains: “Through the proposed joint venture, Telstra and Accenture will join forces to accelerate Telstra’s strategy of reinventing customer and employee experiences through AI, while modernising its data and AI landscape and reducing complexity. 

“The result? Smarter, AI-first products and services delivered faster, with more resilient networks, seamless connectivity and self-serve business intelligence.”

A key focus of the venture will be reinventing business processes through the use of new technologies like agentic AI, which will optimise end-to-end tasks and improve productivity and efficiency for Telstra’s teams. 

Work will also include the development of specialised AI tools to support teams to work smarter and faster, fast-track skills development and build greater data and AI fluency across Telstra’s workforce. 

Telstra will also leverage Accenture’s ongoing US$3bn investment in global data and AI, including in key assets, industry solutions, venture and acquisitions and the latest technology and innovations. 

Narain says: “Together we will build a next generation AI foundation leveraging our investments in AI Refinery, that will enable Telstra’s long-term strategic goals, while simultaneously developing and deploying AI solutions that create immediate business impact. 

“By combining our innovative teams and capabilities, we aim to set a new standard for how enterprises in Australia and beyond can use AI effectively, responsibly and as a catalyst for continuous reinvention.”

Scaling responsible AI

The joint venture is expected to become more efficient and streamlined as it develops, and as more of Telstra’s data and AI roadmap is delivered over the proposed seven-year timeframe. 

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady says leveraging Accenture’s global AI expertise will bring significant advantages to the industry. 

“We’ve made strong progress on our AI goals and already have hundreds of value-driving AI use-cases across the business. This includes generative AI tools built in-house, like AskTelstra and One Sentence Summary, which are helping our people support customers more effectively and efficiently,” she notes. 

“But our data and AI ambition goes well beyond introducing AI tools. It goes to the heart of what we do – connecting Australia and Australians to the world. From building self-healing, resilient networks, to reinventing experiences for our customers and the way we work, AI will help power an exciting, connected future.

Vicki points to the importance of these kinds of strategic partnerships in driving industry-wide innovation in fields like AI, including Telstra’s existing collaboration with Microsoft and its joint venture with Quantium, which have been critical enablers in the company’s AI journey.

“We are entering a new era of AI-driven reinvention,” adds Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture. “Leading companies across the world are embracing agentic AI and generative AI to reinvent themselves using the technology and new ways of working to drive productivity and growth.

“We are proud of our long-standing collaboration with a visionary leader like Telstra, and committed to accelerating its bold AI fuelled business strategy, which will set new standards for the telecom industry.”

As part of the agreement, Telstra will consolidate vendor support from 18 data and AI providers and partners down to two JVs: Quantium Telstra and Accenture. The business says this will enable greater acceleration in data and AI and reduce complexity and inefficiency.

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