Speaker session
The CSP industry stands at a pivotal moment. On one side lies the AI infrastructure opportunity: can telcos move beyond their role as connectivity providers and step into the arena of powering the AI economy? Is there an opportunity not just delivering bandwidth, but offering the compute, sovereign edge capabilities, and tools that underpin AI services? Yet the question looms large: can telcos truly reposition themselves as platforms for AI infrastructure? Or will hyper-scalers and niche providers seize the advantage, leaving telcos as mere feeders into someone else’s ecosystem?
On the other side lies the path to autonomous networks. Automation promises efficiency, speed, reduced human error and improved customer service, but the journey is fraught with complexity. Is the goal of a fully autonomous network real? Is it an essential enabler to generate valuable services, like GPU-as-a-service or inference-as-a-service?
Together, these debates highlight a common tension: ambition versus risk. Telcos must decide whether they can evolve into AI infrastructure providers while simultaneously navigating the uncertain terrain of automation. The panel will explore whether these twin transformations represent a golden opportunity for telcos to redefine their role in the digital economy, or whether they risk being sidelined, outpaced, or trapped by legacy and external competition.