Article: Developing and operationalising a sector-specific big data maturity model for the telecommunications industry Journal: International Journal of Business Information Systems (IJBIS) 2026 Vol.52 No.7 pp.1 - 27 Abstract: Despite the growing strategic importance of big data in the telecommunications industry, existing big data maturity models remain largely generic and insufficiently adapted to sector-specific operational and analytical requirements. This study aims to refine and operationalise a sector-specific big data maturity model for telecommunications. Grounded in design science research and a mixed-methods approach, the study involved 50 experts from academia and industry through iterative qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The findings identified strong consensus regarding the importance of data governance, business development, and network performance, while qualitative feedback emphasised simplification, terminology standardisation, and the integration of emerging capabilities such as artificial intelligence. The operationalisation process resulted in a combined evaluative structure, a five-level maturity framework, and weighted dimensions and sub-dimensions. The final model consists of seven dimensions and 28 sub-dimensions. The proposed framework supports maturity assessment, capability gap identification, and strategic digital transformation within telecommunications organisations Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Developing and operationalising a sector-specific big data maturity model for the telecommunications industry

Authors: Fatmir Desku; Adrian Besimi

Addresses: Faculty of Contemporary Sciences and Technologies, South East European University, Tetovo Ilindenska n.335 1200 Tetovo, North Macedonia ' Faculty of Contemporary Sciences and Technologies, South East European University, Tetovo Ilindenska n.335 1200 Tetovo, North Macedonia

Abstract: Despite the growing strategic importance of big data in the telecommunications industry, existing big data maturity models remain largely generic and insufficiently adapted to sector-specific operational and analytical requirements. This study aims to refine and operationalise a sector-specific big data maturity model for telecommunications. Grounded in design science research and a mixed-methods approach, the study involved 50 experts from academia and industry through iterative qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The findings identified strong consensus regarding the importance of data governance, business development, and network performance, while qualitative feedback emphasised simplification, terminology standardisation, and the integration of emerging capabilities such as artificial intelligence. The operationalisation process resulted in a combined evaluative structure, a five-level maturity framework, and weighted dimensions and sub-dimensions. The final model consists of seven dimensions and 28 sub-dimensions. The proposed framework supports maturity assessment, capability gap identification, and strategic digital transformation within telecommunications organisations

Keywords: big data maturity model; BDMM; telecommunications industry; big data analytics; digital transformation; maturity assessment; strategic performance; data-driven decision making.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2026.155571

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2026 Vol.52 No.7, pp.1 - 27

Received: 17 May 2026
Accepted: 20 Jun 2026
Published online: 05 Aug 2026 *

Title: Developing and operationalising a sector-specific big data maturity model for the telecommunications industry

Keep up-to-date