Telecom compliance in 2025 is more complex than ever. The 5G rollout and IoT expansion brought us faster speeds and more reliable connections, but they also increased security risks. More network endpoints and reliance on software created more opportunities for hackers. 

The Salt Typhoon attack, called the worst telecom attack in U.S. history, shows just how serious the stakes are. Not only did it compromise national security, but it also took advantage of weaknesses in cybersecurity products to break into large organizations.

Staying safe will only become more challenging, especially with the staying power of remote work. On top of that, new telecom regulations add another layer of complexity. These are just a few reasons your business needs to ensure your telecom systems are protected from threats in 2025. 

What Is GRC in Telecom?

Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) is a strategic strategy for organizations to stay compliant and avoid legal issues. While common in the telecom industry, GRC plays a role in other industries. It’s broken down into:

• Governance aligns operations with goals. It ensures accountability, keeps teams focused, and reduces conflicts.
• Risk management identifies threats like outdated systems and regulatory issues, protects operations, and builds trust.
• Compliance ensures businesses follow laws and standards covering data privacy and industry telecoms regulations. 

GRC keeps organizations protected and ensures day-to-day operations can run smoothly. When it comes to telecom, it will help align IT with your overall business goals. This means making sure technology adoption works alongside governance and risk management.

For example, a financial services firm might use GRC to ensure telecom contracts meet industry regulations. It also identifies risks, such as outdated technology, that could hinder service delivery and maintain regulatory compliance.

What Is Compliance in Telecommunication?

Telecom compliance can mean several different things. It applies to both telecom operators and businesses outside of the telecom industry.

Telecom giants across Canada and the U.S. must follow government rules set by bodies like the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These regulatory requirements ensure carriers in the telecom industry provide their services transparently and securely.

Meanwhile, other organizations must also maintain compliance to protect their operations, employees, and customers, regardless of industry. We will focus on how organizations should build a solid internal telecom compliance program.

Here are some examples of what you should focus your compliance efforts on:

• Comply with privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These laws protect customer data and ensure businesses handle it properly.
• If they handle sensitive information like payment data, they should follow standards such as PCI DSS. This helps prevent cyber threats.
• Businesses offering subscriptions must provide clear and accurate invoices to avoid misleading customers.
• Keep up with required reports, file audits, and meet industry security and data handling standards. 

While it covers the essentials, this isn’t an exhaustive list. In 2025, there are various ways to do your due diligence and build trust through telecom compliance.

How Do You Manage Regulatory Compliance?

Telecom regulatory compliance isn’t a straight line. It relies on strategy and ongoing work. You must ensure your business meets shifting standards while protecting your organization’s needs. Your compliance program should cover your entire operations Keep it clear and practical and focus on these areas:

• Set policies and procedures for data privacy, network security, customer service, and billing.
• Put controls in place to monitor compliance.
• Schedule audits regularly to catch and fix problems early.
• Train employees so they understand regulatory compliance and their responsibilities.
• Create a response plan to handle breaches quickly.

To create a solid compliance program for your internal telecom regulations, keep the following tips in mind. 

1. Stay Updated 

Regulations in telecom are constantly changing. We’re facing everything from advancements like 5G to IoT expansion and growing demands for data security and privacy. And with technologies like generative AI on the rise, data governance and compliance are becoming more complicated.

In 2024, the EY CEO Outlook Pulse found that 61% of telecom leaders expect these changes and the risks that come with them to affect their business. If telcos, with their sophisticated infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, are feeling the pressure, organizations in other industries need to stay just as vigilant. 

For businesses, this means:

• Stay on top of regulatory updates. Monitor changes in laws and guidelines to make sure your organization stays compliant. 
• Engage with industry groups. Work with associations to share insights and address any common challenges.
• Prepare for stricter data and tech laws. Never get complacent. Proactively manage data privacy, security, and governance proactively to meet new requirements as they come your way.

Research tells us that managing communication on a global level adds another layer of complexity for organizations. 

That’s why many multinational companies (MNCs) address these challenges by partnering with wholesale telecommunication companies (WTCs) that bring expertise in global regulations. If you operate an MNC, consider the same. It will help ensure your compliance strategies meet the specific regulatory requirements in your operating regions.

2. Train Employees on Telecommunication Compliance  

Telecommunication compliance isn’t just the job of a dedicated team. Groups across your organization should be kept on the same page. Regular training is the only way to achieve this. It ensures everyone knows their responsibilities and understands how to prevent breaches.

Set Up Secure Remote Work Policies

Compliance training should address specific challenges since remote and hybrid work models are commonplace. There are growing concerns about the risks related to digital workflows and secure remote access. Consider them in your training and encourage staff to report concerns through tools like compliance hotlines.

As a result, tools like VoIP and collaboration platforms are becoming the norm. Global Market Insights estimates that the VoIP market will grow at a 10% CAGR from 2023 to 2032. While these tools are convenient, they also come with many security risks. Educating your staff will help close any security gaps.

Your training should focus on securing these tools and maintaining organizational standards. This is especially important in remote work, where secure access matters most. Keep these tips in mind:

• Train employees on strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and identifying phishing attempts.
• Cover common VoIP threats and security best practices, like password management.
• Offer hands-on training with VoIP features, providing access to external audiences for video conferencing.
• Focus on key features such as collaboration tools and file sharing.
• Provide role-specific training, like CRM integration for sales or call handling for support teams.
• Keep training updated with refresher courses and feedback sessions.

Educate Your Team on External Regulations 

It’s also essential that your team is well-versed in the regulations your company is subject to, including industry-specific standards, federal data protection regulations and laws, and global compliance frameworks. These regulations will help guide your internal telecom policies. So, keep the following in mind.

• Ensure your team understands how external regulations, like data protection laws, impact your internal telecom policies.
• Ensure they’re familiar with clauses on data encryption, secure communication, and access controls to protect company and customer data.
• Your team should know the privacy protection clauses, especially when handling sensitive data, to ensure compliance with your internal privacy policies.
• Provide education on compliance requirements, such as GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA, including audit and breach notification terms.
• Set up a process to regularly review telecom contracts with relevant teams. This oversight will help align them with changing regulations and your internal policies.

Overall, focus on building a solid compliance culture. This will look different from company to company, but the core of it should always be part of every company’s everyday practices.

3. Perform Telecom Audits Regularly

We know by now that organizations manage a lot of data. That won’t be changing in 2025. When it comes to telecom compliance, this means this means using accurate, real-time data to perform audits. This oversight will help ensure your operations, partners, and suppliers meet regulatory standards. 

Telecom audits help in several ways:

• They give you a clear view of your expenses, making budgeting easier.
• They ensure expenses are correctly assigned to the proper departments, improving financial transparency.
• They identify overspending and waste, helping you recover cost savings.

Compliance analytics make handling large data sets and reporting challenges easier. They improve the quality of audits and identify any issues early on. Even if your organization is smaller or less regulated, regular audits are still valuable. They catch problems before they escalate.

4. Monitor and Report Compliance Activities

Monitoring keeps your telecommunications regulation and compliance on the right path. Use software to automate monitoring and reporting. Embed risk management into workflows to save time and lower costs. Share updates with management and regulators to keep everyone informed.

Big Data and AI help spot patterns and catch issues as they happen. Machine learning builds on this by predicting risks and offering solutions. Cloud-based tools tie it together, keeping compliance data in one place and simplifying reporting. These tools improve transparency and help businesses stay aligned with regulators and stakeholders.

5. Focus on Continuous Improvement

Remember, telecommunications compliance is a marathon, not a sprint. That’s why you must review and update your processes just as often. Keep an open mind by relying on audits, employee feedback, and regulatory changes to guide improvements. 

Make training a regular part of your routine to protect your data. Remember, a proactive approach will keep your business safe, compliant, and competitive.

Additionally, one meaningful way to focus on continuous improvement is by adopting a greener approach to telecom. Based on Delotte’s findings, the telecommunications industry is actively improving its strategies in areas like sustainability. 

Other businesses can take notes. Consider the following tips to ensure your telecom compliance aligns with industry best practices and environmental standards:

Make Your Fleet More Eco-Friendly

Telecom operators are moving to electric vehicles and eco-friendly alternatives for their field service fleets. Businesses with fleets can make the shift, too. Transitioning to electric vehicles and using telematics to optimize fleet usage can cut emissions and lower costs. A greener fleet will reduce your carbon footprint and support your company’s sustainability goals.

Upgrade Your Infrastructure

Telecommunications service providers are upgrading from copper wirelines to fibre optics. Organizations can follow suit by examining their infrastructure and moving to energy-efficient systems. 

This might include switching to cloud-based solutions or adopting newer technologies like fibre optics. These updates reduce energy consumption and operational costs while maintaining efficiency.

Cut Energy Waste 

Telco service providers are making 5G networks smarter to reduce power consumption. Organizations can implement similar technologies to optimize energy use in offices or warehouses. Smart systems can adjust energy usage based on demand, reducing unnecessary consumption.

Phase Out Outdated Networks

Telecom companies are shutting down 3G networks to cut energy costs. Organizations should follow suit by regularly assessing their telecom tech and phasing out older systems. Phasing out outdated tech prevents inefficiencies and significantly reduces business continuity risks, such as technology failures or cyber risks. This keeps operations efficient, reduces waste, and ensures compliance with modern standards. Investing in these improvements will help your organization meet its sustainability goals. They’ll also help you stay ahead of industry trends and ready for the challenges ahead.

6. Tap into Technology for Compliance

Staying compliant with telecom management doesn’t have to be complicated. Cimpl’s telecom expense management (TEM) platform simplifies it. Cimpl will save you time and reduce unnecessary spending on telecommunications by automating tasks and using powerful analytics. Here’s how Cimpl makes telecom compliance easier:

• You gain clear visibility. Track all your telecom assets, including circuits, numbers, accounts, and locations, in one place. This ensures you only pay for what you use.
• You can automate your operations. Cimpl automates invoice ingestion and reconciliation, matching charges to contracts and usage. This reduces errors, speeds up payments, and will save you money.
• Tracking and allocating costs is simplified. Expenses can be easily assigned to departments. Increased accountability and audit-ready records ensure straightforward compliance.

Cimpl’s analytics also reveal cost trends and usage patterns across providers, which can help you identify unnecessary services and negotiate better vendor contracts. Many businesses are experiencing ongoing savings by tapping into these insights.

Your team can focus on higher-priority work with the managed services team handling tasks like order processing, dispute management, and reporting. Cimpl’s features, including contract management and detailed reporting, ensure telecom compliance stays as straightforward as possible. It’ll help keep your business compliant while helping you find new opportunities to save.

Take Control of Telecom Compliance with Cimpl

Telecom compliance is constantly changing. With 6G technology coming soon, businesses must be prepared for ongoing shifts. While innovation offers excellent opportunities, it also comes with added risks. Addressing these security concerns early will be essential to maintaining trust.

Upland Cimpl makes managing technology expenses simple. It helps you track usage, automate billing, and provide real-time data. Cimpl offers the visibility your team needs to stay on the same page. It’s built to keep you ahead of telecom. Cimpl helps you stay compliant with less effort – see how. Book a demo.