AWS Executive: Telecom Operators Lack Macro Vision for Network Autonomy

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The key obstacle for telecom operators in evolving toward autonomous networks is the lack of a macro vision for transitioning from process-level automation to domain-level autonomy. Amir Rao, Global Director of Telecom Solutions at AWS, pointed out that the industry needs to recognize that automating individual processes alone will not yield the expected returns; it is essential to plan for the coordinated operation of all automated components.

Progress in autonomous networks has been incremental and slower than anticipated. The TM Forum proposed a six-level network autonomy grading system in 2019. In 2023, five operators—AIS, China Mobile, MTN Group, Orange, and Telefónica—committed to reaching Level 4 by 2025. Two years later, TM Forum reported that China Mobile was approaching Level 4 in multiple areas, including IP backhaul and radio access network fault management, while Telefónica's Vivo achieved Level 4 in network creation and planning. China Telecom, China Unicom, TDC NET, and Rakuten Mobile also reached Level 4 milestones.

In April this year, TM Forum stated that there had been a "significant shift" in the pace of Level 4 verification from late 2025 to early 2026; currently, most operator networks are between Level 2 and Level 3, with some operators rapidly advancing toward Level 4 in specific domains. However, a survey by Accenture showed that 79% of operators remain at Level 0 or Level 1 autonomy, and less than a quarter of respondents expect to reach Level 4 by 2030.

Rao believes there is a confusion in the market between overall domain-level autonomy and process-level progress. If only one out of 200 processes in a domain achieves autonomy, the return on investment from higher-level autonomy cannot be realized. He explained that each process can ultimately be represented by a micro-agent, which aggregates upward to form a domain-level agent, creating a tree-like structure. Therefore, operators need a clear vision to achieve at least domain-level independence or autonomy, and then multi-domain autonomy, to create value for shareholders.

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