About Network Automation Summit
Network automation is vastly moving from concept to reality. Many leaders in telco industry agree that autonomous networks will be fundamental in the next five-to-ten years and could generate billions more in revenue. Nevertheless, adoption is slow with less than 10% of Communication Service Providers (CSPs) being fully automated in one single domain. Network Automation Summit will address how automation is set to revolutionize how telco runs and operates but will also address the common challenges which are currently keeping its potential from being fully realized.
AGENDA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
An Automated 5G Network - Not If, but When, Why & How?
5G rollout has left one certainty for Communication Service Providers - automate or be left behind. Automation will not only enable CSPs to generate huge cost savings by deploying networks that are self-healing, efficient and flexible, but also give them the competitive edge by offering new services to their customers. Despite the need to automate the network in some way, executives are still faced with challenges which stems from a lack of know-how. What part of my network should I automate? Do I develop automation capabilities in house or outsource them? What are my workforce implications? These questions are further complicated when we consider that networks are evolving to become more open and cloud native. Join this session to understand why automation is essential to retain competitive edge, and what CSPs need to do to face common automation challenges.
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM ET Keynote | Keynote Speaker: Jin Wang, AVP, Network Analytics & Automation, AT&T
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM ET Panel Discussion | Moderator: Monica Paolini, Principal, SenzaFili / Panelists: Chris Hristov, AVP Network Engineering and Operations, AT&T / Robert Jakubek, SVP, Information Technology, UScellular
AGENDA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM ET
Delivering Next Generation Services with AI Native Telco
Automation is not a new concept to Communication Service Providers (CSPs) with rules-based automation long been a part of networks processes. But with the advent of 5G its evolution towards 6G, CSPs are under increasing pressure to distinguish themselves in the face of commoditization and protect against declining revenue. As we continue down the road of digital evolution, AI will become a fundamental part of the network architecture as it will be imperative for allowing CSPs to create new services, offer consistent connectivity and generate cost savings in the form of fault detection, self-optimization, and overall maintenance. Nevertheless, challenges are plenty. A survey conducted by TELECOMTV said 63% of respondents cited lack of AI awareness among executives being challenging to implementation, and 33% worried that current AI was too nascent and focused only on specific use cases. As such, what is the true benefit of using AI to automate your network? Who is leading the industry in this area? What are the challenges and how can they be solved?
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM ET Panel Discussion | Moderator: Sylwia Kechiche, Principal Analyst, IoT & Enterprise, Ookla / Ravi Sinha, VP of Product and Technology Development, Reliance Jio / Dr. Venki Ramaswamy, Chief Technologist, MITRE Labs / Alexis Koalla, Director Operations Strategy and Transformation, Orange / Sree Nandan Atur, Technical Director – Symcloud, Rakuten Symphony
AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11
11:00 AM - 11:35 AM ET
Closed Loop Automation - Balancing Short-Term Wins Against Long-Term Ambitions
Closed-loop automation leverages AI and ML to fully automate a system. Essentially it allows AI to run the entire network show. Telco networks are at a transformative stage in history - with the increasing demand for low-latent connectivity coupled with innovation such as cloudification and Open RAN, closed-loop automation will help CSPs navigate complexities as well as generate OPEX savings. Silverlinings reported earlier in the year that so far, no CSP has gone full-on closed loop due to the fear of false positive automation causing mass disruption. Instead, many CSPs are opting for partial-loop automation over more low-risk tasks but it is fully anticipated closed-loop automation will have a bigger presence within the next ten years. With that in mind, what will it take to close the loop on automation? How can the industry upskill itself to address common concerns so that the power of closed loop automation can be realized, and what benefits can be made now?
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM ET Keynote | Keynote Speaker: Lucia de Miguel, Open RAN Digital, Software & System Development Manager, Vodafone Group
11:15 AM – 11:35 AM ET Fireside Chat | Moderator: Adaora Okeleke, Principal Analyst, Analysys Mason / Speaker: Anshul Bhatt, Head of Intelligent Operations, Rakuten Mobile
AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Earning Trust in an AI Automated Network
Automation is undoubtedly poised to bring a variety of advantages for CSPs, but one of the biggest concerns amongst decision makers is trust. How do we trust an AI automated network to do what it is meant to do? A 2021 Forrester survey reported that trust was the biggest challenge to AI/ML adoption in telco - how can we trust a system when we are taking away oversight? Nothing takes longer to heal than a damaged reputation, and with so much riding on ensuring a fully autonomous is fit for purpose, CSPs need to be certain that their autonomous networks will not let them down. Therefore, essential questions need to be answered. How can CSPs maintain oversight of autonomous networks? How is success measured? Who is responsible for testing and integration? Join this session to answer the fundamentals questions.
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM ET Keynote | Keynote Speaker: Jen Yates, AVP, Inventive Science Network Analytics & Automation, AT&T Labs
2:15 PM – 3:00 PM ET Panel Discussion | Moderator: Shiv Putcha, Director, Research & Consulting, GSMA / Panelists: Iren Berk Özalp, Network Analytics & Quality Management Systems Manager, Turk Telekom / Ildiko Vancsa, Director of Community, Open Infrastructure Foundation
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