Partner Article 

Building autonomous networks was one of the hottest topics at this year’s DTW conference in Copenhagen, with operators increasingly advancing towards Level 4

Network operators have long aspired to build ‘zero touch’ networks: communication systems that are fully autonomous, adapting to users’ needs in real-time without the need for any manual human intervention. But while this final step remains out of reach – at least for now – major progress is being already made by the industry in automating their networks, unlocking major efficiencies and cost savings.

What exactly do we mean when we talk about the term ‘autonomous networks’? TM Forum provides a useful framework to answer this question, with their Autonomous Network Level (ANL) Model helping operators to assess their current level of network autonomy. These Levels range from 1 to 5; Level 1 represents no autonomy at all, while Level 5 denotes a fully autonomous, self-driving network, with no human intervention at all.

With the integration new technologies, particularly the use of AI agents and predictive AI, CSPs are rapidly climbing through the ANLs, with many on the brink of achieving ANL4. This means their networks are highly autonomous across various domains, with the system making automated decisions based on predictive analysis and AI modelling, with only minimal human oversight.

Achieving the crucial step to ANL4 was the focus on a masterclass on the final day of DTW called ‘ANL4 Solution Packages Blueprint: From Vison to Deployment’, explaining why ANL4 is so valuable and how to implement existing solution packages.

ANL4 and the core network

The first part of telco networks to benefit from the ANL4 transformation will be the core. It is here that we find several well-defined use-cases that are becoming increasingly viable with the increase integration of AI into telco networks.

Chief among these use cases is the integration of AI agents. These agents have enormous potential across the telecoms industry, from advanced customer-facing chatbots to virtual assistants for telecoms engineers. But perhaps the most impactful role of AI agents will take place within the network itself, helping to automate the fault demarcation process.

Traditionally, fault demarcation has required manual analysis across multiple network layers and domains to discover and correct the root cause of network issue. AI agents can automate a large part of this process, using machine learning models to correlate alarms, analyse logs, and isolate the source of a fault in real time. This allows operators to respond faster and reduce mean time to repair and service disruption.

However, letting AI agents loose in the core network must be done with great caution. The core is an environment where a single automation misstep could impact thousands or potentially millions of customers, hence reliability is paramount. Specialised, telecoms-specific AI models will be required to meet these demands, and strict guardrails will be needed before the highest levels of automation can be reached.

In addition to helping operators react to network faults more efficiently, AI is also helping them to anticipate and avoid them altogether. Predictive AI is increasingly being applied to day-to-day operations and maintenance (O&M) within the network, particularly for monitoring and managing risks like signalling storms. By combining this technology with a digital twin of the network, capable of simulating a myriad of scenarios, operators can quickly visualise and assess their network’s vulnerabilities.

In short, the core’s journey to ANL4 will see it become increasingly predictive and preventative when it comes to maintenance, and self-healing when faults do occur.

ANL4 in action in Asia

Many of the above use cases are already being seen in action in some of the most advanced markets in the world. At the masterclass at DTW, two operators –  Telkomsel and China Mobile–were singled out by TM Forum as being ‘outstanding’ in this regard. Having undertaken a thorough evaluation of their autonomous core network high stability evaluation, the two companies received their formal certification at the event and were invited to share key success stories.

Telkomsel receives the company’s ANL CSP certificatate from TM Forum’s Autonomous Networks Program Director, Olta Vangieli

China Mobile receives the company’s ANL CSP certificatate from TM Forum’s Autonomous Networks Program Director, Olta Vangieli

China Mobile has notably already achieved operational ANL4 in eight key core use cases, including private network provisioning, complaint resolution, change monitoring. The company is also nearing ANL4 across multiple additional domains, including IP backhaul, RAN fault management, core complaint handling, and core fault management. Combined, this work has reportedly achieved an 80% reduction in major network faults and saved more than 7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

Indonesia’s Telkomsel has also made great strides, sharpening its focus on core network stability and intelligent operations. Their progress includes a significant shift in their network design, using AI to help support network architecture design. This has made the network significantly more flexible, building in redundancy by design and allowing specific elements to be bypassed for quick service recovery. Combined with predictive AI that can anticipate and negate risks to the network, Telkomsel is well on its way to achieving zero outages in its core network.

Collaboration and building solution packages

Naturally, building more intelligent telecoms network is a hugely complicated task. The sharing of best practice across the industry will be a key factor in success and is something that the TM Forum and its partners have sought to facilitate over the past 6 years. To this end, various solution packages have been co-developed by industry to promote best practices for operators on this journey.

At the masterclass, for example, Huawei’s Michael Wang shared the ANL4 high-value scenario solution package, featuring end-to-end guidance on core network fault management. From designing intelligent O&M, to network optimisation strategies and best-practice case studies, the solution package provides a valuable blueprint for operators to take begin their own network transformation projects.

TM Forum and its industry partners are currently calling for volunteers throughout the industry to further optimise the released standards and collaboratively define more high-value solution packages, three of which are planned to be released by the end of the year.

ANL4 is achievable today

With numerous positive examples already on display in various markets worldwide, and with increasingly sophisticated standardisation materials broadly available, operators’ path to ANL4 is becoming clearer. As momentum continues to build, it will not be long before the most advanced operators fully achieve this goal and begin setting their sights on the lofty goal of ANL5.

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Press Release

Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, announces the expansion of its network in the United States with the opening of a Point of Presence (PoP) in San Diego, California. With this PoP, Sparkle adds a new strategic infrastructure alongside its existing nodes in McAllen, El Paso, Dallas (US) and Queretaro (Mexico), ensuring maximum diversification and redundancy for local customers.

Located at MDC’s carrier-neutral data center, the PoP is fully integrated with Sparkle’s Tier-1 global IP backbone Seabone which boasts extensive coverage in the Americas with 52 points of presence across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela. In addition, thanks to its terrestrial and submarine networks which includes four “digital highways” – Curie in the Pacific and Monet, Seabras-1 and soon Manta in the Atlantic – Sparkle offers five diversified routes for connectivity from South to North America ensuring complete redundancy and a top-quality data experience.

The new node allows network operators, ISPs, OTTs, content delivery networks, and content and application providers to benefit from reliable, low-latency IP transit services with throughput in the range of Terabits per second. Additionally, customers have access to a comprehensive suite of IP solutions, including DDoS Protection, which safeguards networks against cyberattacks, and Virtual NAP, providing virtual access to leading Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) without the need for proprietary infrastructure development.

How is the submarine cable industry evolving? Join the discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA 2026

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Reading, UK – 3rd July– Neos Networks, the UK’s leading provider of business connectivity, has today announced the launch of advanced Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Mitigation as an integrated feature of its Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) service.

This latest enhancement supports Neos’s growing secure networking proposition and responds directly to the demands of public sector and private businesses for resilient, high-capacity internet access with built-in security.

Powered by Corero’s industry-leading platform, the DDoS Mitigation service uses adaptive behavioural analytics to detect and neutralise attacks in real-time. By analysing traffic patterns and drawing on telemetry across multiple geographies, it proactively identifies malicious activity, stopping threats before they can disrupt customer operations. The service is hosted directly on Neos’s core infrastructure, able to be turned on for customers in close to real-time, with no need for customer-premises hardware.

The DDoS services are offered in a tiered model that allows customers to easily add or remove features as their requirements change: 

• DDoS Mitigation – Always-on, real-time protection with auto-mitigation, weekly reports, and 24/7 monitoring for customer internet services.
• DDoS Monitoring – Continuous traffic monitoring and monthly threat reports, with a fast upgrade path to DDoS Mitigation.
• DDoS Standard – DDoS protected-core network included with all DIA circuits. 

David Bruce, Chief Revenue Officer at Neos Networks, said: “Businesses are demanding DDoS protection by default – they want reliable, secure internet access, without needing to invest in or manage additional on-site infrastructure. Our latest enhancements reflect this shift in how organisations can access secure and reliable connectivity. Whether it’s a direct customer looking for peace of mind, or a wholesale partner aiming to offer added value without the complexity, our tiered DDoS offering provides the flexibility and simplicity they need.”

This launch builds on Neos’s broader DIA connectivity portfolio, offering 10Gbps bandwidths with management options for fully managed and wires-only services. Neos provides a range of IP addressing options and offers robust Cloud Connect services, delivering private connectivity to many Cloud Service Providers, including AWS and Azure. All these services are quotable and orderable in minutes on LIVEQUOTE.

ENDS

About Neos Networks

Neos Networks has the UK’s largest business-dedicated network. With over 600 points of presence and 90 data centres nationwide, Neos provides high-capacity critical connectivity for businesses, from telecoms and energy to banking and emergency services.

Agile and customer-focused with almost limitless scale, Neos enables emerging technologies like AI, 5G and IoT, making connectivity work for Britain. 

For more information please visit: https://neosnetworks.com

Press Release

Optus has today announced it has accepted an offer from Nine Entertainment Co and Stan to assign the rights to the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup for the remainder of the rights term.

Under the agreement, Stan will provide Optus Sport customers (who remain Optus telecommunications customers) with discounted pricing so that they can continue to watch the Premier League and other transferred content and provide additional offers to Optus Sport customers who subscribe to Stan Entertainment and Stan Sport.

Optus will make contributions to the rights payments that Stan makes to the Premier League.

On completion, Stan will pay Optus an upfront payment of $20m and a significant contribution towards the first payment of the next rights cycle.

Stan will begin broadcasting the Premier League ahead of the season kick-off on August 16.

Stephen Rue, Optus CEO said a decision had been made to focus on Optus’ core operations in telecommunications, its commitment to customers, and unlocking further value for the business in the future.

“Optus Sport has delivered outstanding sports broadcasting to Australian football lovers for almost a decade,” Mr Rue said,

“One of our key priorities was to find a home for Optus Sport content which would take the game forward and enable all Optus Sport subscribers to continue to receive uninterrupted access to all their favourite football action.

“Optus Sport customers and the game of football will be in great hands at Stan, and we know the game will receive the broadcasting priority it deserves from an organisation whose speciality is delivering quality sports programming to its customers.”

The rights to the J. League and National Women’s Soccer League will also be transferred to Stan under the agreement.

Customers will receive detailed information and special offers in coming days to ensure the transition to Stan is as simple as possible.

Matt Stanton, Nine CEO said the agreement would further strengthen the Group’s premium sport portfolio across streaming, digital and free-to-air platforms.

“The Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet, and alongside the FA Cup, this acquisition reinforces Nine’s position as the home of sport in Australia. We are proud to deliver these iconic competitions to Australian audiences through Stan Sport,” Mr Stanton said.

Following the transition of sports rights on 1 August, Optus Sport will be closing in its entirety.

Mr Rue said Optus had made a significant contribution to growing and developing the world game in Australia through Optus Sport since it was first launched in 2016.

“We are proud of the contribution of Optus Sport to the elevation of football broadcasting in this country and have watched audiences in both the men and women’s game continue to grow during this time, “ Mr Rue said.

“Among all the games streamed over the last decade, clear highlights include the broadcast of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted in Australia, which was a historic moment for Optus and women’s sport across the globe, and the Men’s UEFA EURO 2024 hosted in Germany.”

Fans will still be able to tune into the broadcast of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 championship commencing in July on Optus Sport.

Keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news from around the world with the Total Telecom newsletter 

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Press Release

Orange is strengthening its commitment to sovereignty with the creation of a new division dedicated to defense and homeland security, integrated within Orange Business. This strategic decision aligns with the “Lead the Future” plan and makes Orange’s focus on strategic verticals with high sovereignty stakes a reality. It also demonstrates the Group’s desire to leverage its operational excellence to support defense and security actors in France and Europe.

The Defense and Security sector increasingly relies on cutting-edge technologies driven by digital innovation and has high requirements for resilience and security. It demands a deep understanding of the needs of these actors, as well as a high level of data sovereignty, risk anticipation, operational excellence, and regulatory compliance. In this context, Orange Business announces the creation of the Defense & Security Division (Direction Défense & Sécurité – DD&S), a specialized unit bringing together several hundred experts dedicated to the digital transformation of ministries, operators, and companies in defense and homeland security industries.

The new Defense & Security Division aims to strengthen and develop existing activities to address several key challenges: deployment of resilient connectivity solutions, hybridization of civilian and military networks, hosting of sensitive data, emergency communication systems, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity — in collaboration with the Defense and Security Vertical of Orange Cyberdefense, the sector leader in France and several other European countries. It will rely on Orange Business’ recognized expertise in deploying, operating, and maintaining top-tier digital infrastructures owned by Orange: the best service quality on its 5G network in France and Europe, 45,000 km of terrestrial fiber, over 2,500 satellite antennas, and 450,000 km of submarine cables. Orange Cyberdefense complements this expertise with its ability to detect, protect against and respond to cyber-attacks, supported by its Cyber Threat Intelligence.

This division will bring together expertise from various Group entities to ensure a comprehensive value chain, from technological innovation to operational maintenance, including the integration of digital solutions, security, resilience and service quality.

The leadership of this new entity has been entrusted to Nassima Auvray, Director of Defense & Security: “I am proud to lead this strategic division, which brings together a multidisciplinary team of several hundred experts committed to designing sovereign, resilient, and high-value solutions for our clients and partners in the defense and security sectors. By leveraging Orange’s innovation power — from advanced cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to emerging quantum technologies — we are ideally positioned to meet the rapidly evolving needs of this highly specialized sector, which relies on civil solutions and contributes to building tomorrow’s secure digital infrastructure.”

Aliette Mousnier Lompré, CEO of Orange Business, emphasizes: “Defense and security are complex and demanding sectors that require a specialized approach, dedicated expertise, and a nuanced understanding of sovereignty and resilience issues. That’s why we have decided to create the Defense & Security Division to harness Orange Business’s technological strength and operational excellence in serving key actors in this expanding sector.”

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Press Release

Virgin Media O2 has today announced the details of its spectrum transfer agreement with Vodafone UK that will see Virgin Media O2 acquire 78.8 MHz of spectrum for an investment of £343 million, materially enhancing the company’s network position and helping to improve the connectivity experience of consumers and businesses across the country.

The deal, which follows the completion of the merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK, and is subject to Ofcom approval, will bring Virgin Media O2’s total mobile spectrum share to approximately 30%, ensuring the UK has three scaled mobile network operators with a greater balance in terms of spectrum holdings.

The acquired spectrum comprises:

•                     20 MHz of 1400 MHz Supplemental Downlink

•                     18.8 MHz of 2100 MHz Frequency Division Duplex

•                     20 MHz of 2600 MHz Time Division Duplex

•                     20 MHz of 3400 MHz Time Division Duplex

The transfer is part of a wider deal struck between Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone UK in July 2024 where the parties agreed to extend and enhance their existing mobile network sharing arrangement for more than a decade, and, following the completion of their merger VodafoneThree will now participate in that network sharing agreement.

Virgin Media O2’s spectrum acquisition, incremental to its existing investment of more than £2 billion in its networks and services, will bolster the quality of its mobile coverage across the country and will deliver improved services for its customers. Businesses will also benefit, including the MVNOs who make use of Virgin Media O2’s mobile network via wholesale partnerships to deliver their own mobile services to millions of people across the country.

The transfer of spectrum reduces the previous imbalances in spectrum between mobile network operators in the UK, enhancing competition and allowing Virgin Media O2 to provide increased capacity, speeds and greater coverage for its customers.

The spectrum will be partially funded by the minority stake sale in Cornerstone in 2024, with spectrum payments extending beyond 2025 and deployment occurring over the medium term, starting this year.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2 said: “This acquisition of spectrum will not only create greater balance in holdings across the UK’s mobile networks, but for Virgin Media O2 it will allow us to boost coverage and further improve our network quality, building on the significant investment we are already making in our mobile network. We’re committed to giving our customers a reliable mobile experience across the country and this increase in spectrum will help us deliver on that.”

How is the UK’s telecoms market changing in 2025? Join the industry in discussion at Connected Britain, the UK’s largest digital economy event

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Press Release

Telefónica Tech will incorporate the Wiz security platform into its cloud security services portfolio and offer professional services to help organizations protect everything created and run in multi-cloud environments

Telefónica Tech, Telefónica’s digital business unit, has formed a strategic alliance with Wiz, a leader in cloud security, to facilitate the adoption and secure management of multi-cloud environments by organisations in the Spanish market.

Through this alliance, Telefónica Tech will integrate Wiz’s cloud security platform into its portfolio to offer customers its incident detection and response capabilities. In addition, it will provide professional services to accompany customers throughout the process, from initial implementation to continuous 24/7 monitoring, with the aim of ensuring uninterrupted protection of applications when moving them to the cloud.

Wiz is a comprehensive cloud security platform (CNAPP) that provides complete visibility into cloud environments, identifying critical risks and vulnerabilities. It enables organisations’ development and security teams to proactively protect applications from the code phase to execution in the cloud. Its ability to contextualise threats helps to efficiently prioritise and remediate the most important issues, blocking unauthorised access and improving security posture.

With this new alliance, Telefónica Tech is expanding its cloud security services to continue contributing, on the one hand, to simplifying security management in multi-cloud environments, which is the strategy chosen by most organisations to gain efficiency and increase the development of use cases, and, on the other hand, to preventing security issues from being one of the main barriers to faster multi-cloud adoption in the business environment.

Alberto Sempere, Director of Services, Innovation and Partnerships at Telefónica Tech, said: “The alliance with Wiz allows us to complement our cloud security services offering in the current context, marked by the massive adoption of artificial intelligence, and offer customers an automated platform with which to optimise the protection of their assets hosted in the cloud and the prevention of cyberattacks.”

Tomás Carbonell, Vice President EMEA and LATAM at Wiz, said: “It is an honour to consolidate this alliance between Wiz and Telefónica Tech at a key moment for the industry, marked by the rise of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and the accelerated adoption of the cloud. This collaboration allows us to offer organisations in Europe and LATAM a unique value proposition, combining Telefónica Tech’s local expertise with Wiz’s technology to protect everything that is built and run in the cloud. More than 50% of Fortune 100 companies already trust us, and we are ready to expand that impact in the region.”

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HANOVER, Md. / MADRID, Spain – June 25, 2025 – Telxius, a leading global connectivity provider, and Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) recently completed a key milestone and industry first—a 1.3 Tb/s single wavelength transmission carried out across Telxius’ 6,600km Marea submarine cable between Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Bilbao, Spain.

Powered by Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) technology, the companies also achieved the highest-ever spectral-efficiency transmission across the Atlantic, reaching a record-setting 7.0bits/s/Hz.

“We are committed to continually upgrading our network with new and enhanced systems to better support our customers,” said Carlos Dasi, CTIO, Telxius. “With advancements like Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme, deploying more capacity in the most efficient way possible is now a reality. This latest milestone demonstrates our ability to deliver that capacity across even the vastest of distances in today’s bandwidth-hungry digital economy.”

“This achievement with Telxius is the latest in a series of Ciena industry-firsts in coherent optics,” said Thomas Soerensen, Vice President, Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena. “WL6e will help Telxius provide high-capacity, diverse, and low-latency routes across the Atlantic, and will enable it to stay ahead of the evolving needs of its customers as demand for AI, content, video, and cloud applications continues to grow.”

Ciena’s WL6e is the industry’s first high-bandwidth coherent transceiver using state-of-the-art 3nm silicon to drive significant economic benefits for operators, including a 50% reduction in space and power per bit. Telxius plans to deploy WL6e in selected submarine systems across its vast network throughout this year and beyond.

Fort Lauderdale, FL, June 3rd, 2025— Beesion, the pioneer in BSS Low-Code software, announces the renewal of its agreement with On Net Fibra for the Beefiber BSS/OSS 360° platform. This extension highlights the trust On Net Fibra places in Beesion’s solutions and reflects a shared commitment to innovation and operational excellence.

Beefiber BSS/OSS 360° has supported On Net Fibra in enhancing its operational efficiency by addressing its unique needs and simplifying the management of complex processes. The platform’s customization capabilities have allowed for alignment with On Net Fibra’s specific requirements, ensuring smooth integration and consistent performance. This renewal also represents a continued collaboration to explore opportunities for further strengthening On Net Fibra’s technological architecture.

In a landscape where efficiency and reliability are paramount, On Net Fibra has leveraged Beefiber BSS/OSS 360° to enhance operations and deliver superior service. This contract renewal is a testament to the robust collaboration and mutual trust between our organizations, as we continue to support the industry with pioneering solutions.
 

About On Net Fibra

On Net Fibra is the largest provider of neutral fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connectivity services in Colombia. Operating an open-access network, the company enables telecommunications operators to deliver high-performance internet services through its robust fiber optic infrastructure. Currently, On Net Fibra reaches over 4.6 million homes across 92 Colombian cities, benefiting approximately 13.5 million people. Its mission is to promote access to quality internet, driving opportunities, development, and progress nationwide.