NaaS & Carrier Services

Sanjay Kumar, VP of Products and Marketing, and Keyur Patel, CTO at Arrcus, discuss how the distributed nature of AI workloads is fundamentally changing network architecture, with Ethernet becoming a first-class citizen in AI networks for both training and inferencing across increasingly heterogeneous hardware environments. They explain how Arrcus addresses the needs of telcos, colocation providers, hyperscalers, enterprises, and neoclouds by providing a unified fabric that is scalable, highly secured, fully programmatic, and orchestrated on demand across different data centers.

Neel Patel, GM, Optical Networking Component Solutions at Nokia, explains in our Director's Cut edition, how AI data centers face significant power and supply challenges as GPU interconnect speeds double with each generation, requiring transitions from copper to optical solutions within racks. He highlights Nokia's competitive advantages in indium phosphide (InP) technology, positioning the company as an open ecosystem component supplier for hyperscalers.

Julius Francis, Senior Director, Product Marketing at HPE, explains how AI workloads are becoming distributed across multiple sites beyond traditional data centers, requiring robust networking infrastructure, and how HPE's integration with Juniper combines compute, storage, networking, and security capabilities including cloud-native routing in ProLiant servers for edge environments. He highlights opportunities for telecommunications providers to leverage their infrastructure for distributed AI interconnection and announces the SPX 12000 router, delivering over 500 terabytes per second in 32RU with 800 Gig capability and 1.6T readiness, featuring deep buffers, low latency, and line-rate security for hyperscalers, telcos, and cloud-scale enterprises.

Jon Baldry from Nokia presents the company's 800 gig pluggable optical connectivity solutions for data center interconnection at Mobile World Congress, demonstrating through augmented reality how the technology reduces power consumption by 65-70% compared to embedded optics—a critical advantage for power-constrained data center operators managing AI-driven traffic between core and edge facilities. Nokia maintains its competitive edge in the 800 gig ZR and ZR plus optics market through vertical integration, manufacturing pluggables, subsystems, and optical chips at its indium phosphide fabrication facility in California, enabling superior transmission distances and supply chain control.

Jeff Raymond, VP EOS Software and Services at Arista Networks, in this extended interview, discusses Arista's strategy for breaking down traditional network silos and delivering unified multi-domain management. He also explores how cloud networking principles are reshaping enterprise infrastructure, enabling consistent security policies across multiple domains, and making advanced automation accessible to broader user bases.

Shashi Kiran, Chief Marketing Officer at Nile, explains how they address critical enterprise networking gaps in campus and branch environments by applying data center and cloud principles to create a zero trust fabric with security built into the network foundation, delivered through an AI-powered secure network as a service model.

Hasan Siraj, Head of Software Products/Ecosystem at Broadcom, presents three networking predictions for 2026 centered on AI infrastructure, including Ethernet becoming the standard for scale-up networking, AI clusters expanding across multiple data centers with Ethernet as the interconnecting fabric, and co-packaged optics going mainstream due to 70% power efficiency gains. Broadcom is investing heavily in these technologies while collaborating with customers and partners to enable these infrastructure transitions.

Piyush Sevalia, Executive Vice President, Marketing at SiTime, presents three key predictions for 2026 focused on AI infrastructure's demand for resilient timing solutions, the transition from 800G to 1.6 terabits per second networking bandwidth, and AI-enabled robotics requiring precision timing under extreme conditions. He explains that keeping expensive GPUs running continuously, accelerating data delivery, and enabling robots to operate in challenging environments where humans cannot are driving significant design activity for SiTime's timing technology.

Rafael Francis, Senior Director of Product Line Management at Ciena, discusses how AI is changing networking as the market shifts from model training to inference, showcasing the company's routing portfolio for data center interconnection and coherent routing integration with optical capabilities. He also touches on automation and agentic AI.

Roland Thienpont, Director of IP Division Product Marketing at Nokia, presents data center interconnection with automation capabilities using modular architectures. He discusses the network journey from data centers to wide area networks, featuring AI agents for network operations, DDoS protection, and quantum-safe networks.

Ram Ramanathan, VP Product Management at Ribbon, outlines the company's focus on cloud-native technology and AI-driven automation through a three-layered architecture approach for carriers and enterprises. He describes how Ribbon provides deployment automation, cloud monitoring, and security management while maintaining a vendor-neutral strategy.

Trey Peppers, Owner of Blitz Broadband, has led the company's expansion from basic fiber services to comprehensive construction and maintenance operations across the southeastern United States. The company's strategic growth includes plans for long-haul fiber deployment and middle mile infrastructure development, with a focus on meeting increasing data center connectivity demands from Georgia to Texas.

Kara Mullaley, Market Development Manager for Carrier Networks at Corning, outlines the company's $500 million investment in global fiber and cable capacity since 2020 at Fiber Connect in Nashville. Her presentation showcases how Corning's connectivity solutions have helped connect over 100 million homes worldwide while enabling faster, more cost-effective installations.

Sachin Gupta, Chair of the Middle Mile Working Group at Fiber Broadband Association, leads a discussion on the organization's white paper addressing middle mile infrastructure needs in rural America. The analysis shows current last-mile networks are built on outdated bandwidth requirements, highlighting the necessity for new middle mile deployment to support 100 Mbps symmetric connections for modern households.

Tracy Doaks, President and CEO of MCNC, manages 4,500 miles of middle mile fiber infrastructure that connects educational and healthcare facilities throughout North Carolina. Under her leadership, MCNC focuses on protected connectivity through cyber practices while preparing their network for emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing.

Peter Cresse, Executive at USI, showcases how artificial intelligence integration with fiber networks enhances performance across data centers, middle mile, and access networks. USI's platform enables collaboration between humans and machines to improve end-to-end quality of experience through intelligent network management.

Daniel Bar-Lev, Chief Product Officer at MEF, presents insights on network-as-a-service programs and enterprise collaboration. He touches on new service performance monitoring and cybersecurity alert systems with industry partners.

Ettore Pulieri, Product Manager at Sparkle, showcases the company's new Quantum Safe over Internet service, featuring network-as-a-service capabilities developed with key industry partners. The solution enables quantum-safe network deployment through standardized APIs.

At Mobile World Congress, Nokia's SVP and Chief Marketing Officer Manish Gulyani discusses how AI is driving increased networking demands for cloud interconnection and shaping the company's strategic direction. Through the acquisition of Infinera and partnerships with Lenovo and Kyndryl, Nokia is expanding its optical and data center networking capabilities.

Ofir Zemer, Vice President, Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., showcases the company's RAN Automation Suite, which features AI-driven capabilities and a Service Management Orchestration foundation. The system's agnostic layer enables carriers to express business objectives in natural language while leveraging predictive KPIs, RF analysis, and integration with various RAN vendor applications.

Helen Xenos, Senior Director, Portfolio Marketing at Ciena, presents the company's comprehensive AI infrastructure solutions at OCP, including their industry-first single carrier 1.6 terabit per second coherent solution and ultra-low power metro DCI with 400 gig coherent pluggables. She also discusses Ciena's recent acquisition of Nubis Communications, which enables linear redrivers for active copper cables and XT optical engines for co-packaged optics applications.

Hani Daou, Business Development Manager at Multilane, discusses the critical correlation between interconnect testing and accelerated GPU revenue generation, explaining how current trends including AECs, ACCs, and cable back cartridges enable cost-effective, scalable copper-based GPU connections. He emphasizes that comprehensive testing throughout the interconnect lifecycle is essential for monetizing GPU systems, particularly as the industry transitions to co-packaged optics and near-package optics for hyperscaler applications.

Anabel Alarcon, Product Line Manager at EXFO and High-Speed Tech Lead at Ethernet Alliance, discusses the advancement of 800G technologies and interconnection solutions at the OFC 2025 booth. She explains how 800 ZR technology enables data transmission up to 120 kilometers for metro internet and data center connections, while highlighting the importance of thorough testing and thermal management as AI applications drive cooling requirements.

Scott Wilkinson, Lead Analyst, Networking Components at Cignal AI, examines the development of 448G PAM4 technology and its implications for networking speed transitions from 50G to 400G and beyond. His analysis combines technical expertise with market insights to evaluate how AI applications are accelerating the need for advanced data center technologies, including coherent light and PAM4 solutions.

John D'Ambrosia, Chair of the IEEE P802.3dj Task Force at IEEE, leads industry collaboration on 448 signaling development at the OAF workshop, representing early planning efforts for future Ethernet standards. His experience guiding three previous Ethernet speed transitions positions him to address the technical challenges of advancing from 200 to 400 gigabit implementations while the current standard is still being finalized.

DE-CIX CEO Ivo Ivanov leads a global internet exchange operation spanning 58 markets and connecting over 3,700 networks worldwide. As head of DE-CIX, Ivanov forecasts major shifts in AI services, space-based internet connectivity, and robotics advancement through 2025.

OXIO's CTO Adil Belihomji forecasts that 2025 will see accelerated wholesale telecom growth and more customizable connectivity solutions for enterprises. His analysis suggests the telecom sector will increasingly adopt large language models to enhance operations, from customer experience to network optimization and fraud prevention.

Baron Fung, Senior Research Director at Dell'Oro Group, examines data center infrastructure markets with emphasis on servers and connectivity, tracking the evolution from current 112 gigabit SerDes supporting 400 gigabit ports to emerging 224 gigabit SerDes enabling 800 gigabit speeds for GPU platforms. He highlights that accelerator platforms now advance every 18 months or less, driving the ecosystem toward Ethernet-based solutions and the upcoming transition to 440 gigabit SerDes networks to support next-generation AI and accelerated computing requirements.

Peter Jones, Chair of the Ethernet Alliance and Cisco Systems employee, addresses the accelerating pace of Ethernet speed transitions at the second TF Ethernet for AI event, noting that 400 gigabit Ethernet is emerging before 200 gigabit is fully deployed. He emphasizes that the industry must focus on "just enough" rather than attempting everything at once, while highlighting Ethernet's consistent success over competing technologies.

Ashika Pandankeril Shaji, Manager System Architect at TE Connectivity, discusses the rapid evolution of Ethernet technology to 400 Gig speeds driven by AI network bandwidth demands and the significant technical challenges this transition presents, including shrinking channel budgets and increased sensitivity to impairments. She highlights how TE Connectivity addresses these challenges through advanced modulation techniques and improved connector designs, while emphasizing the value of industry collaboration at the TIP conference to solve complex engineering problems shaping the future of Ethernet and AI networks.

Mary Stanhope, President and COO of Durham Black, discusses AI's potential in software robotics process automation for networking. Learn how AI can optimize tasks like multi-carrier pricing and cost savings, freeing humans for strategic decision-making.

Channa Seneviratne, Technology Engagement & Advancement Executive at Telstra, outlines the company's AI strategy encompassing network automation, predictive maintenance, and enhanced issue resolution. Telstra's transition to software-defined networking is enabling more advanced automation..

Mauricio Sanchez, Sr. Director of Enterprise Security & Networking Research at Dell'Oro Group, predicts significant growth for NaaS, bringing a cloud-like experience to networks. Sanchez anticipates a convergence between NaaS and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), leading to a future where NaaS revolutionizes business operations through scalability, cost efficiency, and advanced security features.

Siân Morgan, Research Director at Dell'Oro Group, outlines three categories of Campus Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) vendors: turnkey offers, Campus NaaS enablers for MSPs, and LAN as a utility services. These vendors distinguish themselves through business models and technology integration, aiming to convert CapEx to OpEx and address advanced goals beyond the capabilities of traditional systems.

David Hughes, Chief Product Officer at HPE Aruba Networking, highlights the potential of NaaS to transform business operations, emphasizing its adaptability to customer needs and the role of partners in scaling NaaS solutions. Hughes predicts that the NaaS market will grow as barriers are removed, overcoming the idea of NaaS being relevant only for greenfield deployments.

Karl May, CEO of Join observes that the “as-a-service” model is now pervasive across IT segments and NaaS is reaching the same tipping point. May identifies three different classes of of businesses that are NaaS early adopters and explains how these businesses want solutions that offer a richer experience, integrating with IoT devices and sensors. He discusses how the rise of AI and decision support systems will impact and shape NaaS.

Gordon Mackintosh, Group Vice President of Juniper's Partner Organization, highlights the flexibility of consuming networking in an OpEx-based model, eliminating upfront investments. He emphasizes how Juniper's partner-first approach to NaaS, combined with their AI-native solutions, allows partners to deliver excellent customer experiences, speed up deployment, and achieve scale through the cloud.

Arpit Joshipura, GM Networking + Edge IOT at Linux Foundation, discusses the evolution of NaaS and its transformative impact on enterprise and service provider networking. Joshipura points to the dependence of NaaS on many key capabilities like automation, and AI management. He also discusses key benefits for businesses adopting NaaS across productivity, cost, and security.

Use cases are expanding for Campus NaaS. Sunil Khandekar, Chief Enterprise Development Officer at MEF, discusses the appeal of zero to minimal upfront capital expenditure and provider-managed operations and upgrades. He points to mid-sized and smaller companies as early beneficiaries of a NaaS approach, and suggests that remote offices of larger companies can also likewise benefit.

Sunil Khandekar, Chief Enterprise Development Officer at MEF, discusses the rise of Network as a Service (NaaS) and gives a preview of the upcoming GNE flagship event in Dallas in late October.

Anil Varanasi, Co-founder and CEO of Meter, discusses the shift towards 'as a service' models in the networking industry driven by desire for capital and operational efficiencies. He also discusses the importance of full integration and warns against NaaS-washing by vendors.

Anil Varanasi, Co-founder and CEO of Meter, discusses the company’s vertically integrated approach to modernizing enterprise networking infrastructure. Meter aims to simplify network deployment by offering a full-stack hardware and software solution that combines routing, switching, and wireless capabilities.

Charlie Cobb, Head of Cellular at Meter, introduces Meter Cellular, a new approach to in-building connectivity that installs as easily as a Wi-Fi access point. Meter's solution provides seamless coverage from existing carriers, supports CBRS frequency, and operates on a neutral host model, offering a cost-effective and efficient way to improve indoor cellular coverage.

Joshua Markell, Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Meter, outlines the company's holistic approach to network design, focusing on creating a cohesive system rather than individual devices. This strategy enables Meter to optimize performance, reduce materials, and incorporate future-proofing elements like cellular capabilities across their network offerings.

Anil Varanasi, Co-founder and CEO of Meter, discusses how customers desire well-integrated, scalable connectivity solutions. Meter's platform meets this demand by providing a comprehensive offering that includes ISP, wired, Wi-Fi, security, SDWAN, DNS, and cellular services, enabling efficient management of connectivity needs with limited resources.

Pankaj Patel, CEO and co-founder of Nile, discusses the transition of major markets to new technologies like cloud services, and likens the adoption of NaaS to that of electric vehicles, which has been more gradual. At the same time, Patel points to the relatively rapid evolution of NaaS, especially with the advent of AI networking. He emphasizes the importance of AI in improving network operations and management.

Bob Laliberte, Principal Analyst for theCUBE, emphasizes the importance of understanding the range of NaaS offerings and its critical role in campus environments. Laliberte highlights the involvement of CSPs/MSPs, convergence of networking and security, and suggests that NaaS can enable organizations to work on transformational projects by freeing up internal IT resources.

Beth Cohen, Security and Networking Technologist at Verizon, discusses the varying interpretations and benefits of NaaS in the market. Cohen emphasizes that from Verizon's perspective, NaaS is a business model that revolutionizes operations. She also points out that as a term, NaaS has multiple meanings and the attributes of NaaS are sometimes ill-defined.

Michael Kearns, Chief Strategy Officer at Amartus, explores the renewed interest in NaaS and MEF's initiatives to advance industry standards. Kearns emphasizes the growing demand for self-service networks and discusses his company's efforts to simplify the NaaS experience for enterprise customers through intent design and comprehensive connectivity solutions.

David Kettle, VP OEM and Channels at Arqit, discusses the increasing threat quantum computers pose to current encryption methods, highlighting recent breakthroughs by Chinese academics in breaking RSA codes. Kettle emphasizes the urgent need for implementing quantum-safe post-quantum cryptography solutions in the network.

Renuka Nadkarni, Chief Product Officer at Aryaka, explores the shift from traditional office-based networks to cloudified, hybrid environments and the emergence of Unified SASE as a Service that builds on top of an underlying private core network layer.

Gabriele Di Piazza, Vice President of Products, Alliances & Architectures at Blue Planet, a Ciena Company, discusses the implementation of Network as a Service (NaaS) across various network segments, highlighting three core aspects: intent-based declarative orchestration, dynamic inventory capability, and AI-driven operations and assurance.

In this Extended Cut video, Gabriele Di Piazza, Vice President of Products, Alliances & Architectures at Blue Planet (a Ciena Company), discusses how Network as a Service (NaaS) addresses key challenges faced by carriers through automated service creation and delivery. He highlights the core components of NaaS, including intent-based orchestration and AI-driven operations, while emphasizing the growing carrier interest in NaaS for its ability to enable quick, on-demand services and new business models.

Colin Bannon, CTO of BT, outlines the company's implementation of carrier Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) through their Global Fabric product, which consolidates multiple services into a single platform. BT's redesigned network prioritizes security, programmability, and sustainability, while aligning with cloud providers' edges to ensure global connectivity.

Colin Bannon, CTO of BT Business, and Roy Chua, Principal and Founder of AvidThink, examine the changing AI landscape and its effects on network infrastructure, noting that future AI applications may require edge processing. They discuss the challenges in modeling AI network needs, emphasizing the importance of understanding use cases and their impact on network topology, while also exploring the complexities of AI model training and data movement.

Mirko Voltolini, VP Innovation at Colt, outlines their NaaS journey since 2015, starting with their own assets and expanding to include third-party resources. Colt's NaaS platform now offers global coverage through off-net connectivity, and plans to develop multi-cloud underlay capabilities for AI workflows.

Divesh Gupta, VP of New Technology & Sales Operations at Console Connect, discusses the company's open-source LSO API adapter project to standardize APIs for buyers and foster a more global NaaS ecosystem.

Paul Gampe, CTO of Console Connect, discusses the increasing adoption of NaaS and the transition from conceptual discussions to real-world applications. He predicts future inter-carrier collaborations will involve API-level integration for enhanced platform interoperability.

Dudy Cohen, VP of Product Marketing at DriveNets, emphasizes the importance of flexibility and service agility in modern middle mile networks, advocating for a software-centric, disaggregated approach. Dudy envisions a future where Network as a Service (NaaS) reshapes carrier networks, with AI-driven systems managing complex networks in real-time.

Khalid Raza, CEO of Graphiant, outlines how telecom companies can evolve into technology companies by shifting focus from data transit to data processing. He proposes that service providers convert their transit points and middle mile locations into processing centers, enabling them to participate in the AI data economy and capitalize on business-to-business connectivity growth.

Eli Karpilovski, CEO of InsidePacket, presents their network-as-a-service (NaaS) platform designed to run on merchant silicon and white box hardware, meeting the growing demand for high-capacity connections, particularly in AI applications.

Sanjay Mewada, Chief Growth Officer at iOPEX, commends MEF's comprehensive description of the NaaS domain and its evolution from basic connectivity to multicloud networking and standardized offerings. He identifies areas for improvement, including better articulation of use cases, alignment of AI infusion, and recognition of the need for optimization.

Pascal Menezes, CTO of MEF, discusses the industry's shift towards carrier NaaS, which involves automating and connecting global underlays in a federated model to support overlay models like SD-WAN and network slicing. Menezes outlines four major themes in MEF's NaaS vision: on-demand connectivity, application performance guarantees, cybersecurity, and multi-cloud integration, emphasizing the importance of automation and federation among NaaS providers.

Stan Hubbard, Principal Research Analyst at MEF, introduces their 2025 NaaS Industry Blueprint, which defines NaaS and outlines its key components. The blueprint provides guidance for service providers and partners in developing network services across a global ecosystem.

Kevin Vachon, COO of MEF, does a walking interview with Jim Carroll, and highlights the growing momentum behind NaaS at the Global MEF event, noting increased prioritization among carriers and new entrants.

Suresh Katukam, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Nile, discusses the increasing interest in Campus Network as a Service (NaaS) from enterprises and carriers at the MEF GNE event. He predicts a shift towards comprehensive NaaS and end-to-end security solutions in the coming years.

Usman Javaid, Chief Products & Marketing Officer at Orange Business, outlines the significance of AI in enterprise digital infrastructure and introduces the Evolution platform to address key customer needs. He explores how AI enhances network optimization and caters to increasing AI traffic demands, envisioning future networks capable of intelligent routing and local inference based on application requirements.

Franck Morales, Vice President Evolution Platform at Orange Business, emphasizes the significance a NaaS Federation and the need for modular components in the NaaS ecosystem.

Rohit Batra, GM and VP of Manufacturing and Telecom, Media and Technology at ServiceNow, discusses the significance of NaaS in telecommunications, highlighting the growing network demands and the need for service providers to monetize investments.

Ettore Pulieri, Product Manager at Sparkle, introduces Quantum Safe over Internet, a new product offering ultra-secure connectivity between customer sites, PoPs, or to the cloud. The service combines post-quantum security with networking technologies, allowing customers to configure and manage their ultra-secure protection through an online portal.

Daniele Mancuso, Chief Marketing and Product Management at Sparkle, announces the launch of the company's NaaS suite of products at the MEF GNE event in Dallas. Mancuso emphasizes that NaaS is an enabler for the digital economy, allowing enterprises and providers to choose network assets via a web portal or APIs.

Antonella Sanguineti, Head of Product Management Secure Cloud & Networking Solutions at Sparkle, discusses the company's Quantum Safe over Internet product, an on-demand service designed to protect against quantum computer attacks on network security.

Channa Seneviratne, Technology Engagement & Advancement Executive at Telstra, outlines the company's strategy for open APIs and composable architecture to enhance competitiveness against hyperscalers. He discusses Telstra's transition to a more flexible API structure to expose network services.

Kelly Ahuja, CEO of Versa Networks, explores the expansion of NaaS beyond traditional connectivity to encompass a broader range of endpoints and services. He anticipates NaaS evolving into an abstraction layer that integrates various network types and leverages automation across the IT ecosystem to optimize performance for businesses.

Erin Dunne, Director of Research Services at Vertical Systems Group, examines the complexities of monitoring NaaS and reports significant growth in related SD-WAN services. Her analysis highlights the importance of broadband and Ethernet Dedicated Internet Access as key factors driving the expansion of network services.

Robert Conger, SVP of Technology and Strategy at Adtran, explores advancements in fiber technology across the network, including the transition to multi-gig speeds in the access network and the implementation of intelligent monitoring systems. Conger highlights the industry's shift from focusing solely on speed increases to improving network operability and enhancing user experience through technologies like fiber monitoring and cloud-based analytics.

Mirko Voltolini, VP Innovation at Colt, discusses Colt's global fiber network expansion (Lumen EU acquisition) and the integration of their IP network with new capabilities like SRv6 and automation. Colt is also developing a green connectivity solution.

Sven Freudenfeld, CTO of Telecom BU at Lanner Electronics, discusses developments in the carrier space: software-defined networking, AI, and automation, and the relevance to Lanner's hardware.

Wim Henderickx, Head of Technology and Architecture IP at Nokia, emphasizes the need for automation in the human-intensive network operations and the potential transition towards machine-assisted operations.

Paul Gampe, CTO of Console Connect, highlights the influence of AI on carrier networks, particularly in driving the need for data migration or repatriation. He cites the effectiveness of Console Connect's product, Cloud Router, in enabling direct connection between hyperscalers and handling the complex task of moving large amounts of data, as demonstrated in a case of moving 5 petabytes of data from Amazon to Google.

Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight, highlighted the transition to 800G and the future need for 1.6 Tbps. Carter also discussed OpenLight's strategic partnership with Jabil to mainstream silicon photonics, the transition to 400G, and the future direction towards 200G lanes.

Ali Shaikh, Chief Product Officer at Graphiant, highlights the shift towards data sovereignty and the role of networks in facilitating AI growth through data exchanges. Shaikh introduces the concept of carrier Network as a Service (NaaS), predicting that companies will need on-demand networks address connectivity of AI workloads.

Anil Varanasi, co-founder and CEO of Meter, discusses the growing demands on networking and the challenges IT teams face in scaling operations. He highlights the benefits of the 'as a service' model in networking, such as enhanced connectivity, increased productivity, cost efficiency, and advanced security features.

Shamik Mishra, CTO of Connectivity at Capgemini, predicts the rise of disaggregated networks, standalone 5G services, and Network as a Service becoming mainstream monetization strategy due to cost pressures at carriers. Mishra anticipates significant transformations in the telecom industry through AI, edge computing, cybersecurity, and the emergence of non-terrestrial and specialized networks.

Khalid Raza, CEO of Graphiant, predicts a shift from the advertising revenue model to a data exchange economy between business partners. Raza also emphasizes the need for private exchange of this enterprise data, and the necessity of a peer-to-peer data exchange model as data growth outpaces bandwidth available.

Christian Gilby, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Juniper, predicts more cloud transition, a resurgence of network access control, deeper integration of IoT into network infrastructure, and the migration to WiFi 6E with emergence of WiFi 7.

Kevin Vachon, COO of MEF, highlights the growth of Network as a Service (NaaS) offerings in 2024., Vachon predicts vendors will align their solutions to enhance service provider offerings. He anticipates a breakthrough in inter-carrier automation in the US market, overcoming complexities of migrating from legacy standards, and foresees the emergence of market-specific automation solutions.

Apurv Bhartia, Head of Wireless at Meter, a network-as-a-service pioneer, predicts a shift towards cloud-driven models, a rise in outcome-driven network administrators focusing on business results, and the ongoing convergence of connectivity and security. Bhartia states these trends are already evident in Meter's rapidly growing business.

Franck Morales, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Orange Wholesale, outlines the company's role in enabling the new digital value chain through their "Click" ecosystem. Orange Wholesale's offerings, including backbone connectivity to the cloud and hosting capabilities, allow service providers to expand their local activities globally and meet customer needs.

Siamak Tavallaei, CXL Advisor to the Board at Open Compute Project, emphasizes the importance of CXL in enabling interconnection of large systems for machine learning and artificial intelligence, and the need for a fundamental standard for interconnectivity. He asserts that CXL can facilitate the interconnection of 10,000 units, petabytes of storage, and hundreds of terabytes of memory in a shared environment, promoting device-to-device and host-to-host communication.

Greg McLaughlin, CEO of Automation Exchange (AEX), at Fiber Connect 2023, emphasized that fiber networks will disrupt economic models and businesses, enabling smaller companies to operate fiber networks due to increased funding and automation technologies. McLaughlin predicts a significant transformation in the fiber business landscape over the next three years, with diverse groups entering the industry and providing services to their communities.

Kara Mullaley, Market Development Manager for Carrier Networks at Corning Optical Communications, forecasts that the enhanced bandwidth from fiber technology will allow homeowners to utilize previously inaccessible technologies such as AI, virtual and augmented reality, and sustainability efforts. Mullaley asserts that the improved efficiency in information collection and distribution will result in superior decision-making for individuals, communities, and workplaces.

Jeff Heynen, Vice President of Broadband Access and Home Networking Research for Dell'Oro Group, discussed the upcoming waves of innovation for fiber broadband, highlighting the transition from GPON to XGS-PON in the U.S. residential market. He also mentioned the ongoing work on 50 gig deployments in China and future developments including symmetric 50 gig options and 100 gig, emphasizing the limitless capabilities of fiber optics and predicting a rapid evolution of technologies for residential and enterprise deployments.

Geoff Burke, Chief Marketing Officer at DZS, spoke at #FiberConnect2023 about the impending disruption of the 'middle mile' in the network by widespread fiber access rollouts. Burke emphasized the potential of using coherent optics and DWDM to move bandwidth closer to the subscriber edge, and the opportunities this presents for creating a more robust infrastructure and adding new services to communities, thereby raising the bar for communication networks across North America and beyond.

Eric Beightel, Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, predicts that fiber technology will revolutionize the federal permitting process, particularly for projects funded through the NTIA's Broadband Middle Mile and Digital Inclusion programs. Beightel is keen to partner with the Fiber Broadband Association and its members to accelerate rollout.

Hossam Salib, VP Sales, Americas at IP Infusion, emphasized the potential of fiber to revolutionize the 'middle mile' connection and the challenges of traffic aggregation and transportation from fiber to various locations. Salib proposed a flexible, disaggregated solution that allows carriers to select optimal software and hardware solutions, which could significantly cut costs and ease the transition to ubiquitous fiber.

Michael Kearns, Chief Strategy Officer at Amartus, underscored the significance of automation and standardization in Network as a Service (NaaS) to streamline services for enterprise customers, emphasizing the necessity for standardization processes and API standardization to manage modern networks' complexity. Kearns also spotlighted Amartus' proficiency in network and cloud automation, its recent development of software to enable service trading in a wholesale environment, and its efforts to provide simplified orchestration and automation for enterprise customers, including unified APIs and portals.

Jorge Brites, Senior Manager of Architecture & Innovation at Cirion, outlined the company's new business strategy which includes technology evolution and aligning its operations with the MEF lso framework. Cirion, a Latin American company with 18 data centers and over 5,500 customers, aims to standardize operations, automate processes, and assist other companies in their technological journey.

Dan Wagner, CEO and Founder of CloudSmartz, highlighted the company's decade-long commitment to developing automation solutions for the trillion-dollar telecom industry, with a recent focus on enhancing customer experience. Despite its small size, CloudSmartz is growing rapidly by offering products that manage service provider-customer relationships, support Network as a Service, and accelerate revenue while reducing costs through automation, thereby competing effectively against larger software companies.

Mirko Voltolini, VP Innovation at Colt, spoke at the MEF Global NaaS event about the potential of Network as a Service (NaaS) to orchestrate services across multiple domains and providers, emphasizing the crucial role of APIs and the need for industry collaboration. Voltolini also shared that Colt has been utilizing APIs since 2015, advocating for the adoption of MEF LSO APIs, and has received positive feedback from customers with a growing ecosystem of partners using automation.

Mauricio Sanchez, Research Director at Dell'Oro Group, lauded MEF's Network as a Service vision for bringing order to numerous standards and providing a clear industry direction, emphasizing the importance of on-demand secure connectivity and the judicious use of APIs. Sanchez concluded that the future will be dominated by APIs, underscoring the need to focus on useful APIs rather than creating them indiscriminately.

Kevin Vachon, COO of MEF, emphasized the organization’s focus on Network as a Service (NaaS) and its role in setting industry standards at the MEF’s Global NaaS event in Arlington, Texas. He also introduced an Enterprise Leadership Council to meet customer requirements and affirmed MEF’s commitment to tracking industry progress and advancing NaaS.

Sunil Khandekar, Chair of MEF's Enterprise Leadership Council, discussed the potential of Network as a Service (NaaS) to simplify network services consumption, despite challenges posed by diverse endpoints and office locations. Khandekar expressed optimism that technology vendors and service providers are progressing towards making NaaS consumption-based, aligning IT infrastructure with business needs in terms of network cloud and security.

Sunil Khandekar, Chair of MEF's Enterprise Leadership Council, is leading an initiative to establish a council comprising senior executives representing all major enterprise verticals to complement MEF's top-tier service providers board and technology vendors technical advisory board, aiming to integrate the essential enterprise viewpoint into MEF's leadership. The initiative also seeks to create a knowledge bank, managed by the Enterprise Leadership Council, to provide enterprises with practical insights for implementing their cloud network and security projects through use cases, best practices, white papers, and tutorials.

Nan Chen, President and CEO of MEF, unveiled the company’s new blueprint for Network as a Service (NaaS) at the MEF Global NaaS event, emphasizing the need for industry standards and MEF’s capacity to standardize and collaborate with the entire industry. Chen also highlighted the role of Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) APIs in delivering automated services and building an ecosystem of service providers, technology vendors, and enterprises, defining NaaS as a blend of on-demand connectivity, application assurance, multi-cloud services, and cybersecurity delivered over a global network.

Pascal Menezes, CTO of MEF, presented the new Nas Global blueprint at the MEF Global NaaS event, aiming to standardize APIs to facilitate interaction between hyperscalers, product vendors, and cloud operators. Menezes envisions a future where all clouds are interconnected, creating a “super cloud” for a seamless user experience, and highlighted the synergy between MEF’s work and APIs from organizations like TM Forum and the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA project.

Shawn Hakl, VP of 5G Strategy at Microsoft, emphasized the significant strides made by operators and suppliers in adopting the LSO standards and framework, which has enabled automation across various sectors of the industry, particularly in SDWAN and security. Hakl also underscored the importance of forums like MEF in promoting industry collaboration, the advances in generative AI, and the focus on AI-based operations, which are fundamental for automation and the creation of modern connected applications that depend on a differentiated network.

Divesh Gupta, VP of New Technology & Sales Operations at PCCW, discussed the company's development of Network as a Service (NaaS) for over five years, highlighting their product Edgeport that provides automated connections between data centers and enterprise buildings using MEF LSO Sonata APIs. Gupta also shared a use case of their product portfolio under Console Connect, where they orchestrated connectivity from Hong Kong to Singapore, offering an on-demand connection to AWS, resulting in significant cost savings.

Erin Dunne, Director of Research Services at Vertical Systems Group, emphasized the growing significance of network connectivity in facilitating automated services, with layer one and two services like wavelengths and ethernet becoming increasingly crucial. She also highlighted the role of Network as a Service (NaaS) in providing simplicity desired by enterprises, the importance of APIs and standards for service providers and equipment vendors, and the efforts of MEF in enabling cost-efficient and simple automated services among multiple vendors.

How can automation and orchestration enhance enterprise connectivity? In the video, Stefan Walraven, CEO of Inmanta answers the question by covering: - Importance of time to market: How automation helps enterprises achieve secure and reliable connectivity when and where they need it. - Network as a service (#NaaS): Why #automation and orchestration are essential for delivering network on demand. - Intent-based approach: How Inmanta's unique method ensures a smooth transition from one stable state to another, providing better results.

Eli Karpilovski, CEO of InsidePacket, explains how service providers can enhance their network offerings for enterprise customers by: - Leveraging network-as-a-service (#NaaS) solutions to automate networks and provide seamless connectivity - Enabling application observability and other essential tools for enterprise customers - Reducing costs and opening new revenue streams by utilizing commodity off-the-shelf hardware

In this video, Amar Kapadia, CEO of Aarna Networks, explains why the middle mile is going through a renaissance and how it is changing the game for multi-cloud networking. He discusses three factors driving the anticipated growth of the middle mile: * Multi-cloud networking: Enterprises are choosing to use multiple public clouds to run their business, and they need dedicated connectivity to each of these clouds. This connectivity has to be provided on demand in a self-service manner. * Cloud repatriation: To use multiple clouds effectively, the state information or the data has to be moved to a neutral site that can be accessed by any public cloud or even private clouds in an easy-to-use manner without incurring egress costs. The middle mile is an excellent location to host the storage or the databases for the state information. * Orchestration: It requires orchestration of tens of heterogeneous infrastructure vendors across tens of thousands of sites, following that it requires orchestration of hundreds of Network Services and applications across this infrastructure. Watch this video to learn more about how the middle mile is changing the game for multi-cloud networking.

In this video, Mattias Fridström, Chief Evangelist from Arelion, explains why the US is lacking middle mile fibers. He highlights three key talking points: * Europe has a lot of fibers built 20 years ago that are still in good shape, making it easier to equip the middle mile with more equipment. * In contrast, the US has a significant amount of missing fibers in the middle mile due to a lack of fiber deployments over the years. * While there is fantastic growth in last mile fibers being built to the home in the US, there is a need for more middle mile fibers to be built. If you're interested in learning more about the challenges of building middle mile fibers in the US, this video is a must-watch.

Sanjay Kumar, VP Product Management and Marketing from Arrcus, explains why communication service providers need a unified network like Arrcus Connected Edge (ACE) that stitches together workloads from the edge into the multi-cloud. In addition, Sanjay touches on: * The need for control, visibility, and guaranteed SLAs for applications * Arrcus FlexMCN, a solution for multi-cloud, and how it provides a secure fabric from cloud to edge

Jeremiah Ginn, Cybersecurity Evangelist from AT&T, explains how they deliver end-to-end circuit quality through their defined core, leveraging LSO APIs to integrate with partners, vendors, and competitors, and their solution that allows for automatic provisioning of connections to different cloud service providers. AT&T's Business Center also gives customers the ability to create a virtual cross connect in any participating cloud service provider through orchestration in the API.

How will BT upgrade their core network to support 400 gigabits and beyond? In this video, Russell Davey, Distinguished Engineer and Principal Network Architect from BT, explains the different options they are considering. Here are the top three talking points from the video: * With the advancement of coherent WM transceivers, it's now possible to put them in a plug that can be directly connected to a router, instead of using a separate transponder card. * BT is considering two options for upgrading their core network: continuing to use rodems and transponders, or putting the WDM optics into the router and going hop by hop through all the routers down the length of the country. * The best option for a particular route will depend on bandwidth and distance, and BT plans to deploy all the options over the next year or so before picking the best one. Overall, the video provides valuable insights into how BT plans to upgrade their core network to support faster speeds and stay ahead of the curve.

How is Colt enabling digital transformation? Mirko Voltolini, VP Innovation from Colt, explains why: * Colt is building products for the future of digital infrastructure to connect businesses in real-time. * Colt is evolving from traditional connectivity to an on-demand, generation-based model that enables change and flexibility. * Colt is working on a number of use cases to enable digital transformation in various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and more. Watch this video to learn more about how Colt is enabling digital transformation through its new middle mile approach.

Khalid Raza, CEO of Graphiant, explains how their innovative solution can help CSPs unlock the value of their connectivity assets. By partnering with Graphiant, CSPs can help the enterprise customers: - Tackle the disaggregation of data and adapt to a mesh topology environment - Connect anyone to anyone, anywhere to anywhere without complex overlays and with desired SLAs

Ali Shaikh, Chief Product Officer from Graphiant, explains how their network architecture delivers a simple network service. Key takeaways: * Graphiant's stateless core philosophy ensures that the transit is pure transport, fast and flexible, instead of today’s inflexible and rigid topologies * Graphiant's architecture puts metadata into the data plane itself, allowing customer traffic to go wherever it needs to without having to worry about how to manage a complicated customer configuration landscape * Graphiant's service is built in such a way that it can become an open standard and shared with the industry

In this video, Eli Karpilovski, CEO, InsidePacket, explain discusses how his company's network-as-a-service solution can help service providers automate their networks, reduce costs, and deliver new services to enterprise customers. Here are the top three talking points: - Inside Packet's solution enables service providers to take their existing infrastructure and automate it, providing a reduction of cost by running on commodity off-the-shelf hardware. - Service providers can add services on top of their network infrastructure, connecting enterprise customers to all their assets wherever they are and providing application observability tools that are missing from their current offering. - InsidePacket is focused on the "middle mile," where service providers have the biggest potential to become the center of the offering for enterprise customers, connecting them to clouds and providing new revenue streams.

Are you wondering if today's infrastructure is enough to support the next internet? In this video, Vito Mabruco, Global CMO from NTT, explains why the answer is no and what we need for the next internet. Here are the top three talking points from the video: * Today's infrastructure is not enough to support the next internet, which will require more capacity for 3D animations, virtual worlds, AI, and holograms. * NTT is addressing the need for the next infrastructure by changing the paradigm from electronics to photonics, which they have been using for long-distance transmission and telecommunications. * By replacing electronics with photonics, NTT can reduce power consumption and latency, which will be crucial for delivering the infrastructure of the future. Watch the video to learn more about NTT's vision for building the next infrastructure based on photonics.

Franck Morales, VP Evolution Platform from Orange, explains how they are delivering a secure digital infrastructure to accompany their customers in their digital-first business. Orange is transforming its backbone into a full internet backbone to deliver cloud-based services in 220 geographies. The backbone is fully co-located with major cloud providers like Google, Azure, and AWS. Orange is also clarifying the use case of SaaS and ensuring an end-to-end answer to customers by doing a Federation of resources using API and orchestrations. This simplifies the design and management of solutions and ensures a digital experience. Orange is hosting SaaS solution vendors that will be delivered from their infrastructure within Evolution platform, ensuring an amazing and outstanding digital experience while continuing to benefit from the innovation of technology vendors.

Divesh Gupta, VP of New Technology & Sales Operations at PCCW Global, explains how APIs can help automate the extension of connectivity services from the middle mile to the last mile. Here are the top talking points from the video: * Automated networks are mostly limited to data center-to-data center automation, but extending connectivity services to enterprise buildings requires relying on downstream partners. * To automate the extension of connectivity services, APIs are needed to order and provision services on the fly. * MEF has released APIs under the MEF Sonata Automation, which allows service providers to automate the address provisioning product order qualification code and orders while using standard-based APIs. PCCW Global is making use of this automation capability and incorporating it into their Console Connect platform to extend their automation capability down to the downstream vendors.

Avneesh Prakash, VP of Mobility from Tata Communications, explains how their platform, MOVE, can help enterprises connect all their assets, whether they are IoT or consumer assets, anytime, anywhere, and at scale. In this hyper-connectivity world, the whole environment is being driven by increasingly complex devices, and the key challenge that enterprises face is that their devices have to be always connected. Here are the top three talking points from the video: * MOVE is a highly intelligent context-aware connectivity management platform that enables enterprises to connect all their assets, whether they are IoT or consumer assets, to get connected anytime, anywhere, and at scale. * MOVE delivers an always-on, always-connected experience and an always-updated connected car, which saves millions of dollars for the manufacturer and gives superlative driver experience. * MOVE's platform is pre-connected with 700 mm routes around the world, which gives MVNOs an always-on, always-connected global connectivity experience. They also have access and insights into some very unique data elements, such as quality of service, which they use to drive end-user or an enterprise business use cases.

Jason Taylor, VP of Large Enterprise Sales at Zayo discusses the role hyperscaler trends and multi-cloud use drives fiber adoption and upgrades in the middle mile by enterprises and government agencies. He also touches on the importance of APIs and agile service management.

Bapi Vinnakota, ODSA Project Lead at Open Compute Project, highlighted the advancements in the open chiplet economy, including the development of a new language, CDXML with JEDEC, to describe chiplets globally and aid in tool flows and design searches. The project has also seen progress in interfaces, with the open chiplet economy transitioning from theory to tangible products and prototypes, as demonstrated by an experience center showcasing chiplet-based products, IP, and workflow from 11 companies.

Struggling with cloud connectivity in your enterprise network? Mark Casey, CEO of Apcela, explains: - The challenge of transitioning from a premise-based world to a cloud-based world - The introduction of Apcela Transit Hub and the Open Access Network to decouple access from network services - How Open Access provides transparency in pricing and tackles cloud connectivity challenges

Struggling with the complexities of transitioning to a multi-cloud environment? Ernest Lefner, Co-Founder of ONUG and Chief Product Officer at Gluware explains: - The importance of sharing experiences to avoid common mistakes - How adding a second cloud provider can exponentially increase complexity - The benefits of learning from others to shorten the time to adoption

Wondering how private 5G networks and Network as a Service can revolutionize enterprise networking? Stephen Collins, Service Provider CTO from ONUG, explains: - The importance of bringing service providers and the enterprise community together - Key insights on building and operating private 5G networks - The future of Network as a Service as a follow-on from SD-WAN, offering a more generalized set of services

Struggling to navigate the transition from hardware to software-based infrastructure? Nick Lippis, Co-Founder & Co-Chair of ONUG, explains: - The shift from CapEx to OpEx and managing infrastructure you don't own - The rise of network and security teams in enterprise cloud infrastructure - How ONUG provides tools, knowledge, and best practices for successful digital transformation

How the current multination security situation changing the strategic outlook of global carriers? How is is the user experience impacting service assurance? Here are 3 predictions from Arelion’s Mattias Fridström.

Where will investments be focused in broadband access networks? More last mile fiber, DOCSIS 4.0, or middle mile aggregation? Here are 3 predictions from ATX Networks's Dan Whalen.

How will companies navigate the transition to Zero Trust Network Architecture in 2023? Here are 3 predictions from Cloudflare's John Engates.

Will data center interconnects become fully automated? Will Network-as-a-Service take off? Here are 3 predictions from Equinix's Jim Poole.

Has sustainability really become a key factor shaping the market for carrier network infrastructure? What is happening in metro access and aggregation? Here are 3 predictions from Juniper Networks's Sally Bament.

New possibilities enabled by 5G slicing could shake things up. Kaloom's Hitendra Sonny Soni makes his predictions for edge networking in 2023. --Visit 2023 Telco Cloud and Edge Resource Site-- Since you're interested in edge networking, you might want to check out our 2023 Telco Cloud and Edge resource site. Watch the videos, download our report, and learn the top nine observations and recommendations we have for carriers.

What happens next as the automotive industry transition to software-defined vehicles? Sonatus' Jeff Chou makes his predictions for what's next on in-vehicle networks in 2023.

Siân Morgan, Research Director for the Enterprise WLAN at Dell'Oro Group, reports a significant expansion in the enterprise-class wireless LAN market, with three consecutive quarters of over 40% YoY revenue growth due to the increased importance of wireless LAN in operations during COVID-19. Despite supply constraints and rising costs, revenues remained high and are expected to return to normal growth patterns beyond 2025, with new features such as access to the 6 GHz band and AI operations enhancing the capabilities of wireless LAN equipment and the emerging trend of campus network-as-a-service simplifying Wi-Fi for enterprises.

Wondering how to transform broadband connectivity and support 5G research on a university campus? Kurt Schaubach, CTO from Federated Wireless, explains how they collaborated with Cal Poly to achieve this goal by: - Partnering with AWS and T-Mobile to deploy and operationalize a private 5G network - Introducing a unique neutral host capability to augment carrier connectivity on campus - Expanding coverage and emergency services to previously challenged areas like Poly Canyon and inside the William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation

Jeff Aaron, VP of Enterprise Marketing at Juniper, revealed that while private 5G has garnered interest, it is not a primary focus in their current roadmap, with the company instead prioritizing AI Ops automation and insights to improve user connections and experiences. Aaron also highlighted the growing interest in Network as a Service (NaaS), a flexible solution that transitions acquisition from a capital to an operational expenditure, and predicted its uptake beyond the commercial space.

Pankaj Patel, CEO and co-founder of Nile, discusses how they are redefining Network as a Service (NaaS), and serving enterprises seeking unobtrusive network solutions that allow business leaders to focus on their core business. Patel highlights the benefits of NaaS, including managed lifecycle management, guaranteed network performance, improved security, and a shift from CapEx to OpEx.

Is NaaS the answer for enterprise connectivity today? Download our report and see what our views are.

Neil Anderson, AVP of Cloud and Infrastructure at WWT, highlighted the impact of the Enterprise Edge evolution on network architecture, driven by hybrid working, increased use of cloud applications, and the importance of security. To tackle challenges in maintaining network architecture and recruiting skilled professionals, Anderson suggested adopting a secure service edge architecture, integrating branch infrastructure with SD-WAN, and implementing a direct internet access model in branch offices.

Telco Cloud is entering an exciting phase: actual execution. AT&T is the flagship customer for Microsoft's Azure for Operator Distributed Services which already supports tens of millions of users. Microsoft's VP, 5G Strategy, Shawn Hakl explains what carrier-grade Telco Cloud really entails.

The telco cloud has evolved from in-house carrier platforms to hybrid offerings that include public hyperscaler offerings and in-house offerings. The telco cloud ranges from public regional clouds to even uCPE on premises. Telcos face challenges in managing the diversity of hardware platforms and locations — APIs and standards, and assurance of performance is still evolving. Marc Cohn, Principal Technology Strategist, Spirent explains.

Tier One carriers have unique cloud environments suited to their specific needs, whereas public cloud operators optimize their infrastructure for a broader mission. The telco cloud NFV model presumes DPDK, OVS and Linux-based environment for virtualization. Spirent Communications' Dave Larson compares the two cloud environments.

As 5G deployments become more widespread, optimizing the return on investment (ROI) from the packet core becomes more and more important for the carriers, says Charlie Ashton, VP of Business Development at Napatech. Download AvidThink's MWC 2022 Report Collection to explore exclusive insights and research findings on hot topics covered at MWC 2022.

Mattias Fridström, Vice President & Chief Evangelist at Telia Carrier, shares predictions for 2022. Download AvidThink's 2021 Select Report Collection to explore strategies and opportunities in the Telco, Private Mobile Networks, Service Assurance, SD-WAN and Open RAN space.

Optimizing the utilization of servers is important to carriers as they look to maximize the ROI for their network infrastructure. In this video, Charlie Ashton, Senior Director of Business Development at Napatech, discusses the business benefits of offloading the 5G user plane function (UPF) to dedicated accelerators like SmartNICs and details Napatech’s UPF offload solution. Download AvidThink's 2022 SmartNICs and Infrastructure Acceleration Report to explore developments in network acceleration.

In the age of SASE, enterprises are looking for services that will evolve with their networking needs. Employees are transforming the way they operate by re-thinking the concept of work from being at the office to an office anywhere experience. In this video, Mick Higgins, SVP of Product at Asavie, now part of Akamai, talks about the growing demand for remote access solutions and how Asavie helps carriers and MSPs deliver a secure office-anywhere service.

There is a concern that SD-WAN services cannot be customized enough to meet enterprise needs. In this video, Karl Mörner, VP Product Management at Enea, shares his experiences with partners in the area of SD-WAN and the benefits of uCPE-based solutions that allow carriers and enterprises a wider variety of choices, reducing lock-in.

The bigger play associated with the SD-WAN market is the introduction of AI operations into the WAN equation. Jeff Aaron, VP of Enterprise Marketing at Juniper Networks, talks about the transition from the traditional WAN routing world, through the SD-WAN delivery model, to a new way of delivering WAN services called the AI-driven WAN.

What’s the boundary of where managed service providers and carriers start and stop with respect to cloud services? In this video, Jeff Lewis, Vice President, Software Defined Networking – Products, Solutions and Operations at Comcast Business, discusses the complexity of interacting with services in the cloud. Download AvidThink's 2021 Service Assurance Report to explore strategies on building future-ready service assurance for business and technology leaders.

As a carrier, networks need to scale. Jeff Lewis, Vice President, Software-defined Networking (SDN) at Comcast Business, talks about the importance of a forward-looking platform approach to bring in more products and services.

What is Azure for Operators? In this video, Shawn Hakl, VP 5G Strategy at Microsoft Azure, talks about how Microsoft Azure helps network operators adopt cloud technologies for their network workloads and the important changes Azure made to build a carrier-grade cloud.

“If we learned something during 2020, it is that flexibility of the network is extraordinarily important.” Staffan Göjeryd, CEO of Telia Carrier, shares some views on network infrastructure investments.

Charlie Ashton, President at 21K Consulting, talks about evaluating accelerated networking technologies from a carrier perspective and how AvidThink's 2020 Infrastructure Acceleration Report was compiled. Ashton also draws on his past experience as Director of Business Development at Wind River and Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at 6WIND, an early entrant in the infrastructure acceleration space.

Marisa Viveros, VP of Strategy and Solutions, Global Telecom at IBM, discusses the challenges telecommunication providers are facing today. She discusses the key role that automation and orchestration will play and how IBM aims to bring that to customers.

Kubernetes, which is sometimes describes as "the Linux of the cloud," is poised to play a major role in next gen carrier infrastructures, says Dan Kohn, Executive Director, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, which is part of The Linux Foundation. Over time, virtual network functions (VNFs) will evolve to become cloud-native network functions (CNFs). In this world, Kubernetes can become the universal abstraction layer.

When we look at how the industry evolves toward cloudification, virtualization and containers, we see that this is really there to support 5G, says Anders Rosengren, Head of Architecture and Technology, Digital Services, Ericsson. Apart from the cloud infrastructure, carriers must also consider how their network functions will evolve to virtualized and then to cloud-native.