Roundtable: From automation to autonomy – building AI‑native networks

Roundtables

Please note this session is by invitation only. You can express your interest in attending by registering here.

Autonomous networks are moving from vision decks to real transformation programs, but the real story is bigger than network automation alone. Operators are being forced to rethink the economics and architecture of critical national infrastructure in a world where AI, data, and cloud are reshaping how networks are built, funded, and run. Crucially, this shift marks the end of siloed infrastructure decisions. The next build cycle demands a unified strategy that integrates technical capability with a hard look at the long-term economics of national-scale architecture.

This invite‑only roundtable brings together communication service providers and ecosystem partners to discuss what it really takes to build AI‑native, autonomous networks in practice. We will move beyond isolated pilots to examine how to re‑architect underlying compute, storage, and cloud platforms while shifting investment priorities, risk models, and the fundamental economic assumptions of the future.

The conversation will explore how to turn today’s AI and automation initiatives into durable advantages in cost, resilience, and service continuity, grounded in real‑world roadmaps, collaborative build models, and the industrialization required to move operators toward scaled Level‑4/5 capabilities.

Chair: Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum
Fred Lherault, EMEA CTO, Everpure
Alex Boyd, Director, System Engineering, Telco, Everpure
Rimma Iontel, Senior Principal Chief Architect - Field CTO Organization, Red Hat
Tony Hall, Head of Platform Automation, Virgin Media 02