Hey Phil, in addition to the content issue you raise, it depends on the type of outreach that telecom companies are using social media for. All the telecom companies are using tweets, blogs,etc...internally. Others focus more on using it as promotion for their product launches (Cisco). In terms of customer outreach using social media, some are really really careful (Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson) while others like Cisco, NSN, and Amdocs seem to be a bit more freewheeling. More on this as we roll with other CMO discussions. 

Agree with you on the need for compelling content--as opposed to using social media in pretty much the same way as marketing via phone or email. Right now, companies seem to be using social media as pretty much another marketing venue, but assume in time they'll learn to leverage it to better effect. That will require more creative thinking and, I am pretty sure, will also take up more marketing resources.

I don't understand the social media question (or answer, for that matter).

When you switch the words "social media" with some other form of accepted communication, the question doesn't work: Are phone calls driving telecom marketing? Are emails driving telecom marketing? 

Maybe I'm biased but telecom vendors are usually awful at creating compelling content that happens to include the messages that they most want to communicate to their customers. Without that ability to create good content, the social media bit won't seem as interesting because you aren't as excited to share what you're doing.

I would ask: How are you getting your messages across in a compelling way? What new content are you creating as a vehicle to elevate your messages above everyone else's?