Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Rome, 2 April 2026

Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, announces a new collaboration with EdgeNext, a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) and Intelligent Edge Cloud Platform, for the provision of International IP Transit services in Europe. Through this agreement, Sparkle enables EdgeNext to expand its network presence beyond Asia, providing its European clients with faster, more reliable connectivity.

EdgeNext is a leading provider of edge cloud services, offering networking, security, and computing solutions to enterprise clients. The company operates over 1,500 edge nodes across more than 290 cities worldwide, supporting its goal of delivering reliable, high-performance digital access globally, with a focus on Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, with plans to expand further internationally.

Under the agreement, Sparkle will provide IP Transit via its Tier 1 global IP backbone, Seabone, offering reliable, low-latency IP transit services in Europe with throughput in the range of Terabits per second. Both companies aim to replicate this success in Africa and South America, expanding global digital access and enabling the next generation of cloud services.

“We are pleased to partner with EdgeNext in their expansion to Europe,” said Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle. “Through our Seabone network, we are able to provide reliable, high-performance connectivity to support their cloud and CDN services, helping them deliver optimal experiences to their clients.”

“Partnering with Sparkle allows us to rely on a Tier 1 global operator, extending our network capabilities beyond Asia,” said Terence Wang, CEO of EdgeNext. “Through this collaboration, we can offer faster and more reliable services to our European clients, marking an important step in our international expansion.”

With 89 PoPs in Europe and a comprehensive suite of IP solutions, including DDoS Protection and Virtual NAP, Sparkle positions itself as a partner of choice for cloud providers and network operators worldwide, delivering ultra-fast, low-latency, high-performance connectivity across Europe and beyond.

 

About Sparkle

Sparkle is TIM Group’s global operator, first international service provider in Italy and among the top worldwide, offering a full range of infrastructure and global connectivity services – capacity, IP, SD-WAN, colocation, IoT connectivity, roaming and voice – to national and international Carriers, OTTs, ISPs, Media/Content Providers, and multinational enterprises. As a leading player in the submarine cable industry, Sparkle owns and manages a network of more than 600,000 km of fiber stretching across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia. Sparkle’s sales team has a global presence, with representatives in 32 countries.

Find out more about Sparkle following its X and LinkedIn profiles or visiting the website tisparkle.com

 

About EdgeNext

EdgeNext is a prominent leader in the global edge cloud services industry, with a robust infrastructure of over 1,500 edge nodes spanning more than 290 cities worldwide. The company has established strong interconnection partnerships with over 100 key operators worldwide, enabling it to deliver comprehensive edge cloud services, including networking, security, and computing, to meet the diverse needs of its enterprise clients. As part of its ongoing commitment to expanding its presence and capabilities, EdgeNext has been actively growing its infrastructure throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This expansion allows EdgeNext to provide tailored, high-performance solutions for major Internet Service Providers (ISPs), local businesses, international organizations, and strategic partners, ensuring their specific needs are met with precision and efficiency.

 

Sparkle Media Contacts:

sparkle.communication@tisparkle.com

X: @TISparkle

 

EdgeNext Media Contacts:
marketing@edgenext.com

The post Sparkle Empowers EdgeNext’s European Expansion with Robust Connectivity appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The transaction is designed to accelerate Nxtra’s buildout of large-scale and edge facilities to serve enterprises, hyperscalers, and government customers across India.

Bharti Airtel has secured a $1 billion equity infusion for its data centre arm Nxtra Data from a consortium led by Alpha Wave Global, with participation from The Carlyle Group, Anchorage Capital and Airtel itself, the company said.

Under the terms disclosed, Alpha Wave Global will contribute $435 million, Carlyle $240 million, Anchorage Capital $35 million, with Airtel investing the remainder. Final investor stakes will be subject to post-closing adjustments and customary approvals.

According to reporting, the deal will see Nxtra valued at roughly $3.1 billion, with Airtel remaining the controlling shareholder.

The capital will be applied primarily to capacity expansion, with Nxtra planning to grow from about 300 MW today to a targeted 1 GW, aiming t control roughly a quarter of India’s data centre market.

Headquartered in New Delhi, Nxtra already operates 14 major data centres and more than 120 edge facilities across India, with recent openings in Pune and active development of AI-ready campuses in Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

As always, the deal is subject to typical regulatory approvals.

Keep up to date with all the latest telecoms news with the Total Telecom newsletter

Also in the news
World Communication Award Winners 2025
Ofcom clears the way for satellite-to-smartphone services
LG Uplus’s AI voice call app glitch leaks user data

The post Airtel and partners pump $1bn into Nxtra data centres appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Poste Italiane has launched a €10.8 billion cash-and-stock bid for Telecom Italia (TIM), a move that signals a definitive return to state influence for the operator three decades after its privatisation. The offer, unveiled late Sunday, values TIM at a 9 per cent premium to its Friday closing price, comprising €0.167 in cash plus 0.0218 newly issued Poste shares for each TIM share.

The proposed acquisition follows a period of significant restructuring for TIM. In 2024, the operator completed the €22 billion sale of its fixed-line network infrastructure (NetCo) to a KKR-led consortium. While that divestment was designed to alleviate TIM’s historical debt burden, this new bid aims to consolidate the remaining service operations—including mobile, enterprise, and data centres—under the umbrella of the state-controlled postal and financial services conglomerate.

Poste Italiane, which is two-thirds owned by the Italian state, has been incrementally building its position in the operator. It currently holds a 27.3 per cent stake, having replaced Vivendi as the lead shareholder following the French conglomerate’s exit. If the transaction proceeds as structured, the Italian government’s stake in Poste would dilute to just above 50% due to the issuance of new equity.

Poste CEO Matteo Del Fante justified the move to analysts on Monday as a strategic necessity. He noted that controlling TIM’s core digital assets—specifically its cloud, edge computing, and cybersecurity unit Telsy—is essential for national competitive advantage. Poste anticipates €700 million in annual pre-tax synergies, with €500 million derived from cost reductions and the remainder from cross-selling across their combined digital platforms.

The bid has received an initial nod of support from TIM CEO Pietro Labriola, who reportedly views the deal as the birth of a “national champion.” However, market analysts have reacted with caution. Shares in Poste Italiane fell 7 per cent on Monday morning, while TIM shares rose 5 per cent, remaining below the offer price.

James Ratzer of New Street Research characterised the bid as an “opportunistic attempt at renationalisation,” suggesting that the current premium may be too low to satisfy all shareholders. Barclays echoed this sentiment, noting that the 9 per cent premium appears modest given the potential for further consolidation in Italy’s hyper-competitive mobile market.

For the Meloni administration, the deal represents a consolidation of digital sovereignty. By bringing TIM’s retail and enterprise divisions back into the state fold, the government secures tighter control over critical data infrastructure and services.

The TIM board is scheduled to meet today to begin a formal assessment of the offer. If successful, Poste Italiane expects to close the transaction by the end of 2025, with the deal becoming accretive to earnings per share from 2027.

Keep up to date with Total Telecom – follow us on LinkedIn

The post Poste Italiane signals state return with €10.8bn Telecom Italia bid appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

London, March 2nd 2026 – Colt Technology Services (Colt), the global digital infrastructure company, today announced a successful proof of concept for an agentic AI engine it has developed together with Microsoft, to accelerate, simplify and clarify complex deal pricing for customers and enhance the Colt customer experience. As Colt’s customers grow, scale and expand their global presence, pricing can be complex, particularly across global markets, and a lack of transparency can be confusing and costly. The new agentic AI engine reduces time spent on developing and sharing pricing from days to just 10 minutes, giving customers fast, accurate competitive deal pricing to help drive decision making and manage cost control.  

Colt is exploring ways to apply agentic AI throughout the customer journey, from pricing to onboarding and beyond. This pricing agent is one of the first proofs of concept to be explored and delivered as part of the Colt programme. In just three days Colt and Microsoft trained the agent to deliver complex deal pricing across the majority of its markets, with 99% accuracy. While the quotes are generated by the agent, Colt’s skilled teams check them before issuing to customers.  

This agentic AI engine is one of the first tools to be developed as part of Colt’s broader ‘people first’ AI strategy, which focuses on creating secure, scalable and responsible AI ecosystems for its employees and customers, empowering them to face an AI defined future with confidence.  

Frank Miller, chief AI and platforms officer, Colt Technology Services says, “Enterprise IT buying has always been complex. A large-scale global infrastructure project can take weeks for providers to generate accurate pricing, but there’s no question it can slow down delivery. Together with Microsoft, we wanted to explore how AI capabilities can break this pattern. By accelerating and clarifying pricing, our customers can focus on achieving their goals, faster, while we keep them connected across the world. Businesses deserve connectivity without complexity and its down to global digital infrastructure providers to make sure this happens.” 

Frank added, “We’ll continue the innovation journey with Microsoft in building the factory for agentic application in telecommunication with a specific focus on the best possible customer experience; fast, simple, accurate, secure and reliable.” 

“Agentic AI has the potential to transform complex enterprise workflows in the telecom industry, where speed, accuracy and scale are critical,” said Rick Lievano, Worldwide CTO, Telco, Media & Gaming at Microsoft. “Colt’s initiative, combining deep telecom domain expertise with Microsoft cloud AI capabilities, helps automate complex processes, improve consistency, and give customers faster access to the information they need to make informed decisions.” 

The agentic AI engine for pricing is expected to become available for use later this year.  

About Colt Technology Services 

We’re Colt. We own and operate exceptional digital infrastructure which powers the global AI economy, connects societies, builds communities and transforms lives. Thousands of colleagues in 65+ offices across Europe, Asia, and North America share a deep commitment to delivering an outstanding experience and making every interaction effortless for our customers. 

Customers and partners choose our award-winning fibre infrastructure, digital platforms and security solutions, delivered across a network that spans continents and crosses oceans. We’re Europe’s largest B2B operator: we connect 40+ countries, 32,000 enterprise buildings, 275+ points of presence, and 12 cable landing stations and we manage eight subsea cable systems. We also co-manage AS3356 – the most widely peered network in the world. 

Founded in London over 30 years ago, we’re privately funded and driven by values of fairness, inclusion and equity. We’re known for our urgent call for social and sustainable change and we’re guided by our purpose in everything we do: creating effortless connections and extraordinary outcomes for our customers, communities and people. Be a part of our story: come on over to www.colt.net  or join our amazing communities at LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube. Media enquiry? Email us at pressqueries@colt.net.  

You can meet Colt at Submarine Networks EMEA, in London on the 27th – 28th May 2026. Get your ticket HERE

The post Colt develops Agentic AI engine with Microsoft AI cutting enterprise quote time from days to minutes appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Viewpoint 

The future is federated sovereignty, says Aaron Boasman-Patel of TM Forum. Learn what that means for you, from concept to architecture

By Aaron Boasman-Patel, VP, Innovation, TM Forum

Over the years, digital sovereignty was defined by borders. That mindset increasingly feels outdated and is being challenged as perceptions evolve behind how it is understood and exercised.

Across Europe, narratives of a “failing concept” and “falling behind” are gaining traction, signaling the need for organizations to move faster and strengthen the strategic position on how they manage and organize data.

It’s no longer feasible for every country to build a fully autonomous digital stack as the economics don’t add up and operational risks are high. And today’s networks, cloud, and AI systems are designed to interconnect, not isolate. These realities are forcing us to rethink what sovereignty means in a hyper-connected world. Europe is already moving in this direction with initiatives like Gaia‑X and the EU Digital Networks Act, signaling a shift from isolation to interoperability and system‑level coordination.

The future is federated sovereignty. This is where connectivity is organized around regional alliances, common standards, and shared trust frameworks that enable interoperability while keeping control of critical assets local.

From concept to architecture

Federated sovereignty means evolving into a framework of collaboration and shared responsibility rather than nationally isolated control. Initiatives such as Gaia‑X signal this shift at a policy and framework level, setting common rules for interoperability and trust across borders and moving sovereignty away from isolation and toward system‑level coordination.

Increasingly, federated sovereignty is being expressed through technical architecture. Sovereign cloud implementations such as the AWS European Sovereign Cloud illustrate how sovereignty can be enforced through technical controls, operational separation, and European governance while still participating in global cloud and AI ecosystems. Rather than fragmenting infrastructure, this approach enables interoperability by design while keeping control of critical assets local.

For telecom operators, this evolution brings both responsibility and opportunity. When sovereignty is no longer just about ownership, it becomes an issue of control, assurance, and verifiability in a world of disaggregated networks, cloud‑native infrastructure, and AI‑driven operation. Operators must answer fundamental questions in real time: Where is data processed and trained? Who controls decision-making systems? How are policies enforced? And how can outcomes be audited?

Governance and leadership in a federated world

Artificial intelligence accelerates the challenge. As networks move toward intent‑driven and autonomous operation, sovereignty shifts from physical hardware to adaptive software, policy, and model governance from manual configuration to cognitive automation.

To manage this, leadership models must evolve. Sovereignty spans networks, IT, AI, cloud, data, security, and regulation; it cannot sit solely within compliance or legal. It requires ongoing oversight, clear decision rights, and joined‑up leadership across technology, policy, and operations. Many organizations are formalizing this through introduction of a ‘Chief Sovereignty Officer’ function or equivalent operating model that unites governance, architecture, and operational assurance.

Telcos as architects of cloud sovereignty

What do telcos need to do, to ensure they are serving the needs of customers prioritizing sovereignty? Primarily, collaboration between telcos and cloud providers is essential to deliver secure, compliant, and innovative services. Telcos bring unique strengths to this partnership: trusted relationships with governments and enterprises, operation of critical infrastructure, and deep regulatory expertise.

Meanwhile, hyperscale cloud providers offer advanced technology and scalability. Together, they can create interoperable solutions that meet stringent security and compliance requirements while opening new market opportunities.

Real-world progress is underway, and multi‑cloud resilience practices reduce single‑provider risk. TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA) and Level‑4 autonomous network capabilities advance observability, automation, and componentized networks, the essential foundation for sovereignty by design. Across geographies, operators and network infrastructure providers are recognizing that investment in autonomous network capabilities is key to control now and into the future. Which is why ODA and Level 4 autonomy play a pivotal role, providing operators the foundation to scale intelligent and sovereign networks.

Designed trust at scale

This year, those who lead the way will be those who embed sovereignty into architectures through policy-driven control, certification, continuous testing, and clear accountability. Something this critical should never be an afterthought. Risk-based resilience will be critical, including diversified routes and mediums such as fiber, subsea, and satellite networks, and tiered service continuity for emergency traffic.

The future of digital sovereignty is not fragmentation but designed trust at scale. Telecom operators sit at the center of that future, not just as connectivity providers but as custodians of controlled digital resilience.

Building sovereignty through collaboration

The path forward is shared. It is a commitment to federated sovereignty architectures rooted in open standards and shared assurance. It is an imperative to operationalize sovereignty with joint governance and runtime verification across multi‑cloud and multi‑network domains. It requires investment in observability, automation, auditability, and sovereign key management as core capabilities, not add‑ons.

By the end of this year, we expect to see those that lead on sovereignty to have made headway on four key milestones. These are:

1. Establishing a cross‑functional sovereignty council that brings together technology, legal, security, policy within the organization;
2. Defining and publishing sovereignty Service Level Objectives (SLOs) for data residency, model lineage, policy enforcement latency, auditability KPIs;
3. Completing pilot sovereign cloud landing zones with route diversity and traffic tiering;
4. And certifying model and data provenance for critical AI workflows.

Sovereignty built this way is verifiable, interoperable, and investable. It brings structure, clarity and control to an increasingly sensitive and mission critical organizational defense. Those who move first will define the standards, architectures, and trust models that others will follow.

The post Building trust at scale: Why digital sovereignty needs a rethink appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Telefónica Tech has significantly expanded its quantum computing footprint, announcing strategic alliances with Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, QCentroid, and Multiverse Computing. The move is designed to bridge the gap between experimental quantum theory and practical enterprise application, specifically targeting the intersection of quantum processing and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

By integrating these three partners into its existing ecosystem—which already includes heavyweights like IBM and IQM—Telefónica Tech is positioning itself as a full-stack orchestrator for sovereign European quantum services. This collaboration focuses on creating a “Quantum AI” proposition. While traditional AI models face escalating computational costs and energy demands, quantum-enhanced AI promises more compact, efficient models. For B2B clients, this translates to faster training times and the ability to run high-performance models in edge environments or local cloud architectures where data sovereignty is paramount.

The new partners bring distinct specialisms to the table. Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech provides specific quantum hardware and algorithmic expertise, while QCentroid offers orchestration platforms that allow enterprises to test and scale quantum solutions across multiple hardware providers. Multiverse Computing, headquartered in San Sebastián, specialises in tensor-based software and quantum-inspired algorithms for complex financial and industrial simulations.

This announcement solidifies Telefónica’s broader quantum strategy, which is currently operating across three distinct pillars. First, in quantum computing, the company is building on the deployment of one of Spain’s first quantum computers alongside IQM. Second, in post-quantum cryptography (PQC), it is partnering with IBM to secure infrastructure against future quantum-enabled decryption threats. Third, in quantum communications, it is investing in firms like LuxQuanta via its Wayra arm to develop secure, long-distance quantum key distribution (QKD).

The primary hurdle for quantum technology in the B2B sector has been the “time-to-value.” Telefónica Tech aims to solve this through rapid prototyping environments. By providing unified access to cloud-based quantum hardware, simulators, and algorithm libraries, enterprises can now validate use cases in weeks rather than months. Specific sectors targeted include banking for risk modelling, logistics for supply chain optimisation, and energy for grid stability.

Beyond mere processing power, the alliance emphasises applied research. This involves compressed AI models that utilise quantum-inspired mathematics to function efficiently on existing hardware, providing a bridge for companies not yet ready to transition fully to quantum processors. In an era of increasing geopolitical sensitivity regarding data, Telefónica Tech is framing this ecosystem as a sovereign alternative to non-European providers. By anchoring the hardware and software development within a European framework, the company ensures that the digital transformation of the public and private sectors in Spain and the wider EU remains compliant with local data protection and security standards.

The integration of these new partners marks a shift from quantum as a future-tech experiment to a functional component of the modern enterprise’s data stack.

More about quantum news – click HERE

The post Telefónica Tech expands quantum ecosystem with triple partnership appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Partner Article

Huawei unveils AI-native framework and new generation solutions to enable all intelligence 

The communications industry is entering a new phase of transformation, as operators move beyond basic automation towards building intelligent networks. Rising network complexity, surging data traffic and the rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across enterprises and consumer use cases are exposing the limitations of traditional operations models, which remain largely reactive and fragmented.  

At the recently concluded MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei outlined its vision for this shift, unveiling what it describes as the industry’s first AI-native framework for intelligent operations, alongside a new suite of solutions designed to accelerate the transition. The announcement is in line with a broader industry trend, where telecom operators are increasingly looking to leverage AI across the entire network lifecycle, from Operations and Maintenance (O&M) to customer engagement and monetisation. 

According to Capgemini, telcos have, on average, achieved a 20% improvement in operational efficiency and 18% reduction in operational expense through autonomous networks over a period of two years. While telcos are increasingly using AI to automate networks, the rise of AI-powered tools and applications is placing new demands on network performance and reliability.  

President of Huawei’s Global Technical Service, Bruce Xun, announced the launch of three solutions, Agentic BSS, SmartCare Intelligence and AUTINOps, which he believes will “ensure a seamless evolution while establishing new paradigms, creating new value, and achieving a massive leap in intelligence.” He was speaking in a session on Agentic Services and Software Enable All Intelligence.  

These solutions are based on an AI-native framework, which is “designed to accelerate the transition of AI innovations into real production, creating tangible new value,” said Xun.  

This framework is built on three core pillars. To begin with, it targets operational and business challenges that legacy solutions have failed to resolve. Secondly, it leverages digital twins and telecom-domain models to enable optimal solutions. Thirdly, the framework reinvents workflows and talent development to ensure a seamless collaboration between human experts and digital employees. 

A key challenge for service providers today is that traditional operations models remain largely reactive.  The tariff design and launch process is slow, and may not meet customer needs or effectively recommend the right products at the right time. 

In this context, Agentic BSS focuses on transforming business operations by introducing AI agents that can interpret customer intent, design new offerings and optimise customer engagement. By enabling collaboration between multiple agents, service providers can significantly reduce time-to-market and deliver more personalised services. 

“The key to intelligent operations lies in our ability to anticipate customer intent and identify unmet needs,” said Xun. This shift towards intent-driven operations is particularly relevant as operators expand into enterprise services and digital ecosystems, where responsiveness and customisation are critical.  

Huawei received a Silver award in the Total Experience category for its collaboration with a Chinese operator, where AI-driven account management agents were introduced. These digital assistants improved response times, reduced business processing time by 30%, and enhanced enterprise customer engagement. 

Reimagining network optimization  

While business transformation is one aspect, network operations remain central to the AI-native vision. SmartCare Intelligence, another solution introduced by Huawei, is designed to move network optimisation from a reactive to a predictive model. By leveraging large AI models, including User Experience Large Model (UELM) and Beam Space Large Model (BSLM), the system can analyse network data in real time, simulate potential scenarios and generate optimal adjustments. This approach ensures that the networks are always tuned to deliver optimal performance. This is significant because service providers are struggling with growing network complexity. AI-driven systems can help them provide consistent service quality.  

Towards predictive and preventive operations 

The third pillar of Huawei’s portfolio, AUTINOps, focuses on Operations and Maintenance (O&M), introducing a predictive approach to network reliability. 

Traditional O&M models often respond to faults after they occur, leading to service disruptions and longer recovery times. AUTINOps addresses this by identifying potential risks in advance and taking preventive action. It uses a cross-domain digital twin network and EDNS 2.0 model to monitor networks in real time, detect risks and trigger recovery actions. It combines proactive risk mitigation (T-1) with quick fault recovery (T0) to ensure “dual protection,” leading to high uptime and network reliability.  

Huawei’s approach is beginning to see validation in real-world deployments. At the World Communication Awards (WCA), the company received a Silver award for Best Digital Transformation Programme for its work with a Middle Eastern operator, where it implemented an AI-driven O&M system focusing on fault management and resource topology optimization. Based on the AUTIN platform, the solution enabled over 95% topology visibility across VoWiFi access points, LTE anchor points and IMS core network elements. It delivered measurable improvements, including service availability exceeding 99.5%, a 40% reduction in call drop rates, and significant gains in fault detection and repair times. 

Xun emphasized the importance of robust connectivity, without which AI remains an information silo. He urged the industry leaders to standardize definitions and specifications of AI native elements, jointly design new business and transaction models and to share best practices to simplify network operations while ensuring improved performance.  

The post Huawei unveils AI-native framework and new generation solutions to enable all intelligence appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Interview

We spoke with Liu Chao, CEO of the Huawei’s Manufacturing & Key Enterprise Account business unit, about the seismic impact AI is having for the manufacturing industry

At Mobile World Congress 2026, AI finally appeared to be coming of age. From myriads of commercial AI agents to early demonstrations of physical AI, it was clear that AI was finally becoming

For Huawei’s Liu Chao, the era of treating AI as a high-tech accessory is over for the manufacturing sector.

“AI is now more than tools,” said Liu in an interview with Total Telecom. “It can be a unique distinguisher for manufacturers to set themselves apart from their competitors[…] AI is now becoming an important paradigm shift in innovation and in leadership.”

““This shift is being driven not only by the growing maturity of AI, but also by the urgent need for manufacturers to strengthen their competitiveness. Established leaders in traditional manufacturing sectors, such as automotive, are facing increasing pressure as more players actively embrace advance technologies.

Given the precision and high standards required in manufacturing, industrial players place a strong emphasis on proven reliability and predictable outcomes. This means they tend to wait for new technologies have demonstrated clear value and stability. For Liu, this urge to wait is a “trap”.

“Adoption of AI is not optional. It’s a mandatory choice you have to make. The question is not whether to do it or not, but how to do it,” he said.

Bridging the expertise gap

Perhaps the biggest hurdle to adoption, Liu explained, is the lack of cross-discipline expertise. Industrial experts are typically not AI experts, and vice versa,

“I think one of the key priorities for manufacturers adopting AI is deepening their understanding of the technology and its evolving trends,” said Liu. “This also means strengthening capabilities in data and digital infrastructure, while developing more talent with AI and IT expertise – both of which are essential to fully unlock the value of AI.”

For AI adoption to scale across industry, both manufacturers and tech companies need to cultivate multidisciplinary talent that combines both industrial and digital expertise.

“We need AI experts who have the knowledge and background in the manufacturing sector,” he said.

It is only with this shared expertise, Liu argues, that the industry will be able to develop AI models tailored to the manufacturing sector’s specific needs.

“General models like OpenAI answer questions based on public information. But when it comes to the data about a specific company, industry, or process, these models are not good at giving very specific answers,” said Liu. “In manufacturing companies, the data about operation management, production processes, and research and development is proprietary and private. So, they need specialised solutions.”

Practical first steps: Pilot projects and infrastructure foundations

With this in mind, what does early AI adoption look like for manufacturing companies?

For Liu, initial focus should be not on overall transformation, but on addressing specific challenges.

“When a manufacturing company comes to us and says they want to begin using AI, we first discuss their pain points in their business,” Liu said, noting that identifying the right use cases can generate early value.

“We have to find some typical cases where AI can be applied and give a quick win to our customers,” Liu said. These early projects often act as pilot programmes that help organisations build internal experience and refine their data strategies.

“In the first stage we identify scenarios as the first batch of AI adoption pilots,” Liu explained. “Then in the next step we review their more confidential or private data in production or R&D and help them standardise it, ready for use in AI models.”

Automotive taking a lead

One manufacturing industry leading the pack when it comes to AI adoption is the automotive industry.

“Each year in China, 50% of new cars are connected to the internet and are electric vehicles. The changes in the market are very fast. These days, auto manufacturers are launching their new car models almost as frequently as mobile phone makers are launching phones,” he said, adding that “autonomous driving and smart cockpit capabilities are all enabled by AI models.”

The most advanced carmakers are using AI across product development, factory operations, and quality inspection. This is allowing customers to enjoy a far greater level of personalisation as part of a C-to-M (Consumer-to-Manufacturer) framework.

“It is an end-to-end process that allows full customisation by the consumers,” explains Liu. “It’s how auto manufacturers in China are trying to win in such fierce competition.”

“In the assembly line, a fully assembled car is built every minute,” Liu continued. “When the customer chooses a specific configuration – say, for example, a yellow safety belt – you have to make sure that yellow belt arrives at exactly the right point in the assembly process. That needs AI-enabled scheduling with the data flowing from the order side directly to the production.”

Networks come first

Of course, a strong foundation of digital infrastructure is a critical requirement in this journey.

“The precondition is that you have very solid network connections and very good hardware,” Liu said. “Without this, putting AI into action is incredibly difficult.”

For Liu, the pace of change means manufacturers must continue learning and adapting as AI technologies evolve.

“You cannot wait for the latest technology for fear of being left behind because AI is changing so quickly,” he said. “You have to learn throughout the process of adoption.”

Keep up to date with all the latest telecoms news with the Total Telecom newsletter

Also in the news
World Communication Award Winners 2025
Ofcom clears the way for satellite-to-smartphone services
LG Uplus’s AI voice call app glitch leaks user data

The post A mandatory leap: Why AI is fast becoming part of ‘Industrial DNA’ for manufacturing appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

TIM and Fastweb + Vodafone have signed a non-binding agreement for the construction and operation of new mobile towers (passive infrastructure) in Italy, with the prospect of creating up to 6,000 new sites. The joint initiative also aims to accelerate the  national rollout  of 5G.

The project will enable TIM and Fastweb + Vodafone to improve operational efficiency and align costs with the European average, while maintaining high infrastructure quality standards and the technological flexibility needed to develop next-generation networks.

The initiative will initially be implemented through a  joint venture  owned equally by TIM and Fastweb + Vodafone, with the aim of evaluating the entry of third-party investors into the company at a later stage to optimize its financial structure. The infrastructure will also be made available to third-party telecommunications operators under an open access model.

Construction activities will begin according to a multi-year development plan. TIM and Fastweb + Vodafone will act as  anchor tenants  of the new infrastructure, signing long-term agreements for the use of the towers at market conditions. The parties will also evaluate the possibility of providing additional services.

The initiative contributes to strengthening the sustainability of the telecommunications sector in Italy and will allow for greater resources to be allocated to the development of next-generation networks. The project is subject to the necessary authorizations from the relevant authorities.

Keep up to date with all the latest telecoms news with the Total Telecom newsletter

Also in the news
World Communication Award Winners 2025
Ofcom clears the way for satellite-to-smartphone services
LG Uplus’s AI voice call app glitch leaks user data

The post TIM and Fastweb create JV to build 6,000 mobile towers appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

O2 installed Europe’s first pre-assembled mobile site in Sandwich, Kent, introducing an innovative new approach to building mobile infrastructure that significantly speeds up deployment and minimises issues on site, meaning reliable connectivity can be delivered to customers more quickly and efficiently.

Traditionally, engineers installing antennas, radios and cabling would have to connect and configure hundreds of connections on site, often working at height and exposed to the elements. Using technology developed by Vecta Labs, these components are now fully assembled and tested before they ever reach the tower, dramatically simplifying installation while improving quality control.

Each unit is pre-assembled and validated in a controlled testing environment using specialist equipment, including anechoic chambers that allow engineers to precisely measure radio performance. They are then subjected to simulated wind conditions to replicate real-world stresses before they leave the factory, ensuring every mast meets the same exacting standard on arrival.

Passive radio frequency components such as antennas, cables and connectors are also tested for Passive Intermodulation (PIM), a common source of interference that can degrade network performance. By identifying and resolving these issues before deployment, O2 can ensure consistent mobile network performance from the moment a site goes live.

The approach also dramatically simplifies installation, reducing the number of connections engineers must complete on site from around 100 cables to just six, helping save time and minimising the risk of errors. The first European deployment was completed in Sandwich, Kent, where the pre-assembled equipment was installed in four hours, reducing time on site by up to 75 per cent compared with traditional deployments.

For O2 customers, this means new and upgraded sites can be installed faster with less network downtime, helping to improve coverage and boost capacity so they can stream, browse and stay connected on the move. O2 plans to go deploy 100 of these pre-assembled sites across the UK this year as part of its £700m Mobile Transformation Plan.

Steven Verigotta, Director of Mobile Delivery at O2, said: “Moving one of the most complex parts of building a mobile mast into the factory is a real step forward for our network. It allows us to install sites faster, improve quality control and ensure customers benefit from stronger, more reliable connectivity from the moment the site goes live. This is just one of the improvements we’re making as part of our £700m Mobile Transformation Plan which is helping to create the biggest and most reliable network in the UK.”

John Bonello, Director and Founding Member at Vecta Labs, said: “We’re proud to see Europe’s first Vecta Labs deployment delivered with O2. This approach combines pre-assembly, precision RF testing and simplified installation to help operators deploy infrastructure faster while maintaining the highest standards of performance.”

O2 was recently recognised as the most improved mobile network across Europe in Umlaut Connect’s Mobile Network Test, an independent and comprehensive benchmarking report. It was also awarded Best Mobile Network Coverage at the Uswitch Telecoms Awards for the second year in a row, which recognised the scale, reach and reliability of O2’s mobile network.

Keep up to date with all the latest telecoms news with the Total Telecom newsletter

Also in the news
World Communication Award Winners 2025
Ofcom clears the way for satellite-to-smartphone services
LG Uplus’s AI voice call app glitch leaks user data

The post O2 deploys Europe’s first pre-assembled mobile mast in Kent appeared first on Total Telecom.