Tomorrow, one of my favorite industry events kicks off—TM Forum’s DTW Ignite in Copenhagen. If you’re in telecom and you’re even a little curious about how AI is going to shake up our networks, this is the event to follow.
Why do I look forward to this one every year? Because it’s not just about flashy announcements or abstract talks. It’s where real-world innovation happens. The event is known for showcasing Catalyst programs—collaborative, working use cases that are already moving the needle in AI, automation, and digital transformation across telecom.
And this year? It feels especially different. Here’s why.
AI in Telecom Is No Longer Just an Ambition—It’s Happening
Since the start of 2025, we’ve seen some pretty big leaps in AI—things like Agentic AI and AI agents taking on operational tasks we once thought only humans could handle. What’s more exciting? These aren’t just cost-saving tools anymore. We’re talking about AI as a new engine for revenue and service innovation.
Going through the agenda and a few early announcements from companies attending, I can already sense we’re heading into something big. So before the event starts, here’s what I think we should all be looking out for—and why this matters if you’re in the industry.
- Networks Are Becoming Smarter—And More Independent
We’re seeing AI, including Generative AI, being infused into every part of the telecom stack—from RAN to OSS/BSS. That means:
- Networks that can heal and optimize themselves
- AI agents managing SLAs, not just monitoring them
- And a move away from traditional OSS to data-rich automation ecosystems
If you work in ops, imagine spending less time reacting to issues and more time making strategic improvements. That’s the shift.
- Telcos Are Finally Thinking Like Tech Companies
There’s a growing wave of telcos moving toward a TechCo mindset. It’s no longer enough to just deliver connectivity. Now it’s about:
- Building on cloud-native platforms to launch services quickly
- Exposing capabilities through AI-powered APIs
- Even turning internal strengths into monetizable products, just like hyperscalers do
It’s worth asking: Do we have the culture and tools to thrive in this new model?
- AI Agents Will Soon Be Everyday Coworkers
From handling support tickets to configuring networks, AI agents are stepping in—not to replace us, but to support us. Imagine:
- A field engineer getting real-time, contextual help through an AI assistant
- A customer care agent backed by predictive tools that know what the customer needs before they ask
- Designers and planners running simulations to explore dozens of what-if scenarios instantly
The future of telecom work is looking a lot more intelligent—and a lot more human-AI collaborative.
- Revenue Models Are Moving Beyond Connectivity
One of the most exciting shifts? AI is unlocking new ways to monetize the network itself. Think about:
- Giving enterprise customers access to real-time network control (like slicing on-demand)
- Offering analytics-as-a-service to industries like logistics or automotive
- Even providing AI tools as a service to help other businesses tap into your data and intelligence
The bottom line: value is moving from “minutes and megabytes” to insights and intelligence.
- The Ecosystem Game Is Heating Up
With cloud giants, startups, and hyperscalers all getting deeper into telecom, telcos need to decide:
Do we just plug into what others build—or do we build and own part of that ecosystem?
There’s real urgency here. The smartest operators are partnering, co-creating, and even launching their own AI platforms to stay in control of their future.
Questions Every Operator Should Be Asking Right Now
As we head into DTW Ignite, here are a few questions I think every operator needs to be thinking about:
- Are we ready to let AI agents take the reins in some parts of our network?
- Is our current OSS/BSS stack built for this future—or is it holding us back?
- Are we treating our data as a strategic asset, or just exhaust?
- And ultimately: are we ready to evolve from a traditional telco to a platform-powered, intelligent service provider?
Wrapping Up..
The AI wave in telecom isn’t just about doing what we already do, only faster or cheaper. It’s about reinventing what’s possible. DTW Ignite will likely show us how fast that reinvention is happening—and who’s leading the charge.
As someone who follows this space closely, I believe this event is a moment to pause, reflect, and ask ourselves: Are we building the future—or waiting to be disrupted by it?
Let’s see what unfolds.
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