From experiment to engine: How autonomous networks become core business infrastructure

Sessions in rooms

Autonomous networks are no longer innovation experiments — for leading operators, they are becoming part of the core operational engine of the business. This session focuses on how CSPs and their technology partners have transformed isolated use cases into repeatable, scalable capabilities that underpin everyday service delivery. Examine how autonomy is embedded into production environments, how platforms mature over time, and how early wins are converted into long-term operational advantage.

Chair: Mei Lee Quah, Senior Director, Frost & Sullivan 

15:45 – 16:00 
From ambitious goals to operational reality: Ensuring success with a real-time data strategy  

• Why a unified, real-time data strategy is essential for operational AI 
• How Boost Mobile is applying event-driven principles to enable agility and scale 
• Practical steps to introduce automation without disrupting existing systems 

Rob Bennett, Senior Vice President, Software Engineering, Boost Mobile 
Justin Reilly, CEO, Wavelo 

16:00 – 16:15
Automation to autonomy: Turning autonomous use cases into a strategic capability 

• The vision and the journey to full autonomy 
• How automation projects were selected and prioritised 
• How to deliver tangible benefits quickly while expanding the foundations 
• Building integrated platforms instead of disconnected solutions 
• Business impact and key success factors for production scale 

Carla Penedo, Executive Director of Cognitive Automation, Celfocus
Mario Volonterio, Head of Digital Networks and Artificial Intelligence, Fastweb+Vodafone

16:15 – 16:30
From boardroom to code: making the autonomous networks strategy real 

• Building outcome-driven autonomous network processes using AWS services to support every step, through descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive phases, ensuring ROI-positive investments that meet business goals 
• Scaling automation consistently by reusing a common framework and data pipeline across use cases, from pilot to thousands of RAN sites 
• Evolving AI models over time, starting with general-purpose LLMs and shifting to purpose-built models with Amazon SageMaker  
• Operationalizing AI agents using Amazon Bedrock AgentCore for seamless scalability, observability, security, and operations 

Amir Rao, Global GTM and Solutions Director, AWS for Telecom, AWS
Girish Mahajan, Senior Leader AI and Data, Mobile Networks, BT Group

16:30 - 16:45
Case study: How ENTEL Is making autonomous networks a reality

• How ENTEL is transforming Autonomous Networks from innovation concepts into operational business reality across Latin America
• Leveraging Agentic AI and Digital Twin principles to accelerate progression toward AN Level 4 operations
• Real-world 4G RAN interference detection use case in Chile: reducing manual troubleshooting, improving operational efficiency, and minimizing unnecessary field interventions
• Energy efficiency automation success in Peru, achieving TM Forum AN Level 3.4 certification with measurable operational impacts
• ENTEL role as a key contributor for telco industry standards

Fabian Aranda, AIOps Solution Architect, VIAVI Solutions 
Karen Salvatierra León, Zero-touch Operations Network Resources Manager, ENTEL Chile

16:45 – 17:15  
Panel: From capability to competitive advantage: Are autonomous networks delivering real business value? 

• Where are CSPs seeing measurable competitive advantage? 
• What still prevents autonomy from scaling across the entire organization? 
• How do operators balance speed, control, and risk in AI-driven environments? 
• What will define success in the next phase of AN Level 4 adoption? 

Moderator: Mei Lee Quah, Senior Director, Frost & Sullivan
Panelists:
Rudolf Strijkers, Lead Architect Network & Infrastructure IT, Swisscom  
Sana Khan, Director Digital Transformation Strategy, Telenor  
Pramath Jha, Principal Consultant, CTO Office, CMI Business Group, TCS 
Ibrahim Eldeftar, Global Head of Solution Line Cognitive Software and Services, Ericsson 

17:15 
Closing remarks

All timings are provisional and may be subject to change.