13 core things
Objects
The nouns of the sector. Each object has an identity, properties and a history, and maps to records in the source systems.
- Subscriber
- SIM
- Device
- Plan
- Wallet
- Cell site
- Tower
- Network incident
- Ticket
- Dealer
- Agent
- Campaign
- Partner
Industries
Telecommunications
Join network, subscriber, mobile money and partner data into one model, and give operators a private place to run AI inference close to their customers.
- Starting ontology for networks, subscribers, wallets and partners
- Sector pack
- Starting ontology for networks, subscribers, wallets and partners
- Typical sources: network, billing, CRM, mobile money and agent systems
- OSS + BSS
- Typical sources: network, billing, CRM, mobile money and agent systems
- Regulators in scope: telecom authority and data protection
- Licence + DPA
- Regulators in scope: telecom authority and data protection
- Channels: USSD, SMS, WhatsApp, retail and agent networks
- USSD, SMS, app
- Channels: USSD, SMS, WhatsApp, retail and agent networks
01How the work happens today
The challenge
African operators run some of the largest data estates in their countries. Network systems record cell and tower performance. Billing and CRM hold subscriber plans and usage. Mobile money platforms hold wallets and transactions, often operated as a separate business unit. Dealers and agents sell airtime and SIMs. Tower companies, fiber partners and vendors keep their own records. USSD, SMS and WhatsApp are the main way customers reach the operator.
Each of these systems answers a narrow question. Network teams see congestion but not which valuable customers it hurts. Marketing sees churn risk but not the tower outages that caused it. Fraud teams see SIM swap patterns only after a wallet is drained. Operators want to run AI close to the data, but GPUs are scarce and expensive, cloud costs are priced in dollars, and customer data cannot always leave the country. Without a common model and strict access control, every AI pilot becomes a one off integration.
02A starting model for the sector
The ontology
8 core relationships
Links
How the objects connect. Links turn separate tables into a graph that people and agents can walk.
- Subscriber holds SIM and Plan
- SIM is used in Device
- Subscriber owns Wallet
- SIM attaches to Cell site
- Cell site is hosted on Tower
- Network incident affects Cell sites and Subscribers
- Ticket is raised by Subscriber about Incident
- Dealer and Agent sell to Subscriber
6 governed actions
Actions
What people and approved agents may do. Each action has rules, an approver where needed and a log entry.
- Open and prioritize a network incident
- Dispatch a field engineer to a site
- Block or review a SIM swap
- Send a targeted offer or apology
- Escalate a customer ticket
- Rebalance agent float or airtime stock
03What changes on the ground
Use cases
01
Situation
A set of towers degrade in a district during a power outage. Customers complain on social media before the network operations center confirms the scope.
02
What it does
Cell site alarms, power data and subscriber impact link in one incident. The system ranks sites by affected subscribers and valuable accounts, and suggests which engineer to dispatch.
03
Human decides
The network operations lead sets priorities and approves field dispatch. Engineers confirm the cause.
04Sources to connect
Data you already have
We read from your existing systems first and write back only through approved actions. Every source has a named owner. Where connectivity is weak or records are on paper, we plan for queued sync and OCR with human review.
- Network management and performance systems
- Billing, rating and charging platforms
- CRM, care and ticketing tools
- Mobile money platform and wallet ledgers
- Dealer, agent and distribution systems
- Tower, power and field service records
- USSD, SMS and WhatsApp interaction logs
- Device and SIM inventory databases
See how this applies to your organization.
Free 30 minutes with an engineer.
05Laws that shape the design
Compliance and residency
| Country | Law | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | NDPA 2023 and telecom authority rules | Subscriber and traffic data are personal data. Consent and retention rules shape analytics and marketing. |
| Kenya | Data Protection Act 2019 | Profiling and direct marketing need a lawful basis, and data subjects have rights over automated processing. |
| South Africa | POPIA | Direct marketing and automated decision rules may affect churn and offer models. |
| Ghana | Data Protection Act 2012 | Controllers and processors follow security and purpose principles for subscriber data. |
| Egypt | Personal Data Protection Law 2020 | Rules on consent and cross-border transfer may affect shared AI infrastructure. |
Licence terms, SIM registration, lawful interception and mobile money rules vary by country and regulator. This list is illustrative. Confirm with counsel before designing data flows. Examples only, not legal advice. Confirm with counsel.
06How each product serves this sector
Boltcliq products
Model plane
Zeus
Models subscribers, SIMs, cell sites, incidents and wallets, so network, care, marketing and fraud teams see one customer experience.
Trust plane
Odin
Controls internal, partner and tenant access to subscriber data, with purpose limits, so a vendor or enterprise customer sees only its slice.
Control plane
Monolith
Provides the gateway for models and tools, with routing across large, small and local models, redaction and cost caps.
Runtime plane
Argus
Runs agents and data near the operator, on local capacity or AWS, with portability for in-country inference.
Observation plane
Cyclopes
Observes agents, models and data access, including cost per request, so operators can attribute spend and show how a decision was made.
07
Frequently asked questions
- No. We provide the ontology, governance and runtime layers. Operators and their vendors keep network tooling.
08
Related industries
Financial services
One governed view of customers, accounts, agents and transactions across core banking, mobile money and branch networks, so risk, fraud, credit and compliance teams work from the same facts.
Retail and commerce
Give informal merchants, distributors and marketplaces a shared view of stock, sales, payments and demand, so they can restock sooner, get credit and serve customers better.
Government and public sector
Sovereign data and AI foundations for identity, revenue, procurement and service delivery, built so agencies share facts without losing control of who sees what.
Experience you can lean on
Our team of consultants and experts brings a combined 35 years of industry experience.
Immersed in technology and across many different verticals, so the people on your project have done this before.
Telecommunications
Working in telecommunications?
Tell us the problem. An engineer, not a salesperson, answers.
- Free 30 minute briefing
- Embedded engineers, working on your real systems
Working in telecommunications?
Join network, subscriber, mobile money and partner data into one model, and give operators a private place to run AI inference close to their customers.