How Telstra’s AI-Driven Connected Future 30 Strategy and Regulatory Scrutiny Will Impact Telstra Group (ASX:TLS) Investors

Earlier in 2025, Telstra Group advanced its Connected Future 30 plan, sharpening its focus on a leaner, AI-driven connectivity business while continuing major share buybacks and emphasizing dependable dividends. At the same time, Senate inquiries into triple-zero emergency call failures heightened regulatory risk, raising the prospect of tougher laws, penalties, and mandated network upgrades that could affect Telstra’s costs and network planning. We’ll now examine how Telstra’s AI-focused Connected Future 30 transformation may alter its investment narrative amid heightened regulatory scrutiny. These 11 companies survived and thrived after COVID and have the right ingredients to survive Trump's tariffs. Discover why before your portfolio feels the trade war pinch.Telstra Group Investment Narrative RecapTo own Telstra today, you need to be comfortable with a relatively mature telecom focused on dependable dividends, steady earnings and an AI-enabled efficiency push, rather than rapid growth. The recent scrutiny around triple-zero failures mainly sharpens Telstra’s near term regulatory risk, potentially affecting compliance costs and network priorities, while the key catalyst remains management’s ability to convert Connected Future 30 into sustained margin and cash flow improvement. The current A$750 million on-market buyback, running through to the end of 2025, is the announcement most closely tied to this latest news. It reinforces Telstra’s capital management focus and supports earnings per share, but it also sits alongside possible new regulatory obligations that may require additional network investment, creating a tension between funding shareholder returns and meeting any tougher service requirements. But while the buyback and dividend story is front of mind, investors should also be alert to the risk that ever rising network investment needs... Read the full narrative on Telstra Group (it's free!)Telstra Group's narrative projects A$24.9 billion revenue and A$2.6 billion earnings by 2028. This requires 2.4% yearly revenue growth and about A$0.4 billion earnings increase from A$2.2 billion today.Uncover how Telstra Group's forecasts yield a A$4.94 fair value, in line with its current price.Exploring Other PerspectivesASX:TLS 1-Year Stock Price Chart Five Simply Wall St Community valuations for Telstra span roughly A$4.50 to A$5.83 per share, showing how widely individual expectations can diverge. You can set these views against the Connected Future 30 cost efficiency catalyst and consider how AI driven automation might influence Telstra’s longer term earnings power.Explore 5 other fair value estimates on Telstra Group - why the stock might be worth as much as 20% more than the current price!Build Your Own Telstra Group NarrativeDisagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes - extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.A great starting point for your Telstra Group research is our analysis highlighting 3 key rewards and 2 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision.Our free Telstra Group research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate Telstra Group's overall financial health at a glance.Contemplating Other Strategies?Don't miss your shot at the next 10-bagger. Our latest stock picks just dropped:We've found 13 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.The end of cancer? These 29 emerging AI stocks are developing tech that will allow early identification of life changing diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's.This technology could replace computers: discover 27 stocks that are working to make quantum computing a reality. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.Mobile Infrastructure for Defense and DisasterThe next wave in robotics isn't humanoid. Its fully autonomous towers delivering 5G, ISR, and radar in under 30 minutes, anywhere.Get the investor briefing before the next round of contractsSponsored On Behalf of CiTech