Telstra and Ericsson have agreed to a targeted collaboration aimed at developing autonomous networks. The deal is set out as the companies tackle the technical and operational challenges facing the telecom industry.
The drive toward fully autonomous networks comes as the sector pushes for faster progress in autonomy. To get there, companies must deal with fragmented data, close the gap between business goals and network execution, and handle the complexity of multi-vendor environments. Trustworthy AI and shared industry standards are also key.
The partnership will focus on a few key areas:
- Developing intent translation frameworks that connect business goals with how networks actually operate.
- Building a knowledge plane, an information layer that uses AI to monitor, analyze, and control networks.
- Integrating trustworthy AI to make sure decision-making is clear and reliable.
- Pushing industry change by testing results and sharing insights to help shape standards.
Telstra and Ericsson will concentrate on two main initiatives: a Technology Lab to design and test solutions and Proof Points to demonstrate and validate them in real-world conditions. They will also work with other industry players to ensure interoperability and broader adoption.
Mark Sanders, Telstra’s Chief Architect, said: “This collaboration between Telstra and Ericsson provides the momentum and focus the global telecom industry needs to advance towards intent-driven autonomy. Developing and validating ideas and technical possibilities in real environments is essential to closing the gap between aspiration and execution. Addressing the foundations will be critical to shaping the industry and influencing standards.”
Mats Karlsson, Head of Solution Area Business & Operations Support Systems at Ericsson, added: “Our collaboration with Telstra will be pivotal in defining and shaping industry-leading pathways, elements and use-cases for autonomous networks, setting a strong precedent for openness and collaboration. The telecommunications industry has faced challenges of scalability, monetization and service creation and only through joint efforts in fundamental research and the development of automation and trustworthy AI, like this one with Telstra, will we be able to successfully overcome these challenges.”