New Bandwidth-Cavell Research: EMEA Enterprises Face a Pivotal Moment in AI Adoption Amid Rising Regulation, Trust Pressures

Survey of EMEA enterprise IT and telecom leaders finds security, trust and adaptability now outweigh rapid transformation in enterprise communications strategies

RALEIGH, N.C., and LONDON, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise communications leaders across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region are navigating a pivotal moment. While AI promises richer customer experiences and greater efficiency, these enterprises are operating in one of the world's most regulated, fragmented and risk-sensitive environments—where uptime, compliance and trust are first priorities. As a result, 2026 will be defined not by hype or bold leaps, but by intentional progress in reducing enterprise communications complexity.

That's the key finding of "The State of EMEA Enterprise Communications 2026," a new report from Bandwidth Inc. (NASDAQ: BAND), a leading global enterprise cloud communications company, in partnership with Cavell, a global research and consulting firm specializing in communications. The report draws on insights from 500 IT and telecom decision-makers at EMEA-headquartered companies with 1,000 or more employees.

"Enterprises are advancing their communications strategies carefully, balancing innovation against regulatory readiness, security risk and the realities of operating across multiple countries," said Finbarr Begley, Senior Analyst at Cavell. "Security, fraud and compliance are different corners of the same maze in EMEA, and together they shape how quickly organizations can modernize."

"EMEA enterprise leaders must walk a tightrope: innovating with purpose, modernizing with caution and building infrastructure that's resilient and adaptable," said Timir Patel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Voice Plans at Bandwidth. "For progress to speed up, enterprises must first solve platform-level complexity across countries, regulations and use cases. Bandwidth's platform is designed to meet the demanding needs of this environment."

Key insights in the report include:

Security, trust and compliance define the communications challenge

The most urgent finding for enterprise CIOs was that security, fraud and compliance dominate communications priorities in EMEA:

• 63 percent of enterprises cite security, fraud and compliance risks as their most significant communications technology challenge.
• 64 percent express concern that their voice provider may not maintain uptime as regulations evolve, underscoring anxiety around service continuity during regulatory change.

AI advances, but only on trusted foundations

AI and machine learning are firmly on the enterprise agenda:

• 49 percent of organizations rank AI/ML implementation as a top communications priority for 2026.
• Security and fraud prevention follow closely at 46 percent, reflecting the need to balance ambition with risk management.

Regional differences highlight this tension: UK enterprises prioritize protection and fraud mitigation, while France and Spain place AI slightly higher—yet all markets advance cautiously.

Managed Service Providers turn fragmentation into flow

In a fragmented and regulated environment, managed service providers (MSPs) have become critical to keeping EMEA enterprise communications operational, compliant and scalable. Rather than acting as transactional vendors, MSPs now function as long-term operational partners:

• 99 percent of enterprises rely on MSPs, typically working with two to three providers, to manage regulatory, operational and vendor complexity across markets.
• While security and compliance rank as the top buying criteria (53 percent), enterprises depend on MSPs for end-to-end service management, multi-vendor integration and cloud migration or modernization, according to the research.

A multi-carrier, hybrid-cloud reality

Geographic and technology fragmentation have anchored EMEA in a multi‑carrier, hybrid-cloud reality. This approach accommodates the region's uneven cloud maturity, diverse regulatory demands and the ongoing need for on‑premises systems due to security and compliance requirements:

• 46 percent of enterprises now operate a hybrid carrier model, blending a global core with local providers for regulatory coverage and resilience.
• 75 percent have partially shifted their contact center to the cloud, placing most of the region squarely in a hybrid state.

EMEA vs. North America: different starting points, with trust a common theme

• Rather than rapid deployment, EMEA enterprises are integrating AI "with intention, not impulse" by layering it into existing workflows. AI acts as a force multiplier only when built on reliable, compliant communications infrastructure, the report emphasizes.
• In North America, lower starting complexity and earlier cloud and AI investments allow leaders to focus on optimization and scale.
• Across both regions, trust in voice communications is eroding, leading to clear business impact:
  • 66 percent of EMEA enterprises report legitimate outbound calls being labelled as "spam" or "scam," disrupting customer engagement and sales activity.
  • Comparable Bandwidth research in North America shows a similar trend, with 42 percent of IT leaders reporting spam mislabelling of their contact center numbers.

Adaptability emerges as the real differentiator

Across all findings, a consistent theme emerges: adaptability defines success. The enterprises staying ahead are not necessarily those moving fastest. Success depends on communications stacks that can adapt to regulatory change, AI adoption and cloud expansion, while protecting uptime and trust.

Download the report

"The State of EMEA Enterprise Communications 2026" report is based on a survey of 500 EMEA-based IT and telecom decision-makers across industries including financial services, retail, healthcare, technology and manufacturing, with respondents concentrated in the U.K., France and Spain. The research also includes comparative insights from more than 750 North American IT leaders. Download the full report here.

About Cavell

Cavell is a leading research and consulting firm specialising in the telecommunications industry, with a strong focus on business communications technologies including UCaaS, collaboration, contact centre and customer engagement software, business messaging and Microsoft Teams. We provide insights, analysis and advisory services to help you navigate and succeed in these rapidly evolving sectors.

About Bandwidth Inc.

Bandwidth (NASDAQ:BAND) is a global cloud communications software company that helps enterprises deliver exceptional experiences through voice calling, text messaging and emergency services. Our solutions and our Communications Cloud, covering 65+ countries and over 90 percent of global GDP, are trusted by all the leaders in unified communications and cloud contact centers–including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, Google, Microsoft, RingCentral, Zoom, Genesys and Five9–as well as Global 2000 enterprises and SaaS builders like Docusign, Uber and Yosi Health. As a founder of the cloud communications revolution, we are the first and only global Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) to offer a unique combination of composable APIs, AI capabilities, owner-operated network and broad regulatory experience. Our award-winning support teams help businesses around the world transform their communications every day.

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SOURCE Bandwidth Inc.