AI/ML-based cognitive automation will drive programmable networks 

Autonomous networks require minimal to zero human intervention. AI- and ML-based automation empowers software-defined networks with autonomous decision-making capabilities. Such networks can therefore self-provision, self-diagnose and self-heal to help telecom companies improve end-user experience while reducing operational expenses.

Autonomous networks enable telcos to provide network as a service. This approach ensures high degree of flexibility, reconfiguration and enhanced functionalities.

The end goal in the transformation journey toward autonomous networks is the ‘concept of zero’ approach, implying zero human-led latency, zero vendor lock-in, zero limitation on capacity, and zero defects. Through the ‘concept of zero’ approach, telecom companies can reap several benefits, including:

• Superior customer experience

• Unified data ingestion platform

• Ability to alter network availability based on information from non-traditional streams including social media feeds and weather information