Videos
One NZ on Autonomous Networks, Agentic AI & Telecom Transformation
Insights
- The shift from automation to true autonomy is now real, driven by agentic AI layers that can act, learn, and optimize networks in real time.
- AI is exposing foundational gaps in data, orchestration, and inventory, forcing telcos to prioritize core infrastructure before scaling advanced use cases.
- Success in autonomous networks ultimately comes down to improved customer experience and lower cost through more efficient, intelligent operations.
At MWC 2026, Kieran Byrne of One NZ explores how agentic AI is accelerating the shift from automated to truly autonomous networks. The conversation highlights how AI is moving from assistive tools to embedded decision-making layers that can act in real time to optimize network performance and resolve issues faster. They discuss the growing importance of foundational capabilities such as data pipelines, orchestration, and inventory management, which are critical to scaling AI effectively. The discussion also addresses the need for open, adaptable architectures that can evolve as technology rapidly advances. Together, they highlight how telecom operators must rethink their operating models to deliver better customer experiences while improving efficiency and cost.
Kieran Byrne:
All the talk was about autonomous networks, but it's sort of felt like, there was a lot of talk about it, but the technology may not have been there yet. I think what's different and what's changed over the 12 months is the technology is real now, and particularly, the agentic AI overlay on top of automation in the networks to really bring that autonomous network strategy to life. And I'm pretty excited about the next 12 months, because I think it's going to start accelerating some of the things that we've been talking about for a while, but have probably haven't quite had the technology maturity to really, really accelerate.
AI exposes what enterprises haven’t fixed yet
Samad Masood:
What are the new challenges you see evolving now? Because it is exciting. As each problem gets solved, I imagine there's a whole another set of problems that get created?
Kieran Byrne:
With all the excitement about new agentic use cases, there's fundamental, foundational work that a lot of businesses need to do. Whether it’s how inventory, orchestration, getting our data pipelines in place. This is a bunch of work, which we just need to get done really fast.
Samad Masood:
Do you see it more as a technology challenge? A people challenge, a process challenge, or a combination of all?
Kieran Byrne:
I feel like it's been more of a technology challenge up to this point. We've had a lot of people in our business really excited and motivated to accelerate this, but I think we've had trouble, with the maturity of the technology to really make meaningful progress. That feels like that's changing now.
Speed requires building open and staying adaptable
Samad Masood:
In your position, anything you'd recommend?
Kieran Byrne:
It's not going to be a quick process and a lot of learning and, and probably a bit of failing along the way. So don't go after the shiny things. You know, have a multi-year plan in place, which includes doing all that foundational work that you need to get from A to B and stick to that plan and get at that. Every time you, you make a move, the technology catches up very quickly and to a point, which sort of almost nullified the work that you've done in the past. So, I think the important thing is that we build things in a, I guess, an agnostic and open way so that as new technology emerges, we can use different models and different vendors and different capabilities.
AI success comes down to experience and cost
Samad Masood:
What are the sort of things you look at to sort of measure success in autonomous networks?
Kieran Byrne:
It's the same old thing of it's customer experience and cost. So, and the ability to run our networks more efficiently. And networks are getting more and more complicated.
AI is forcing telcos to rethink how they operate
Kieran Byrne:
It gives us the ability to do things faster to optimize the network better for customers, more actions on the network, solving faults faster, triaging the network faster. It's really exciting opportunity to do things better for customers at a much more efficient cost as well.
Samad Masood:
Can you see an evolution in the way the technology function, the business function are going to work together in this sort of, utopian agentic future?
Kieran Byrne:
It feels like we're going to have to sort of rewire our whole businesses around this, this dynamic approach and, and bring the customer much closer to that technology as well. It’s going to be quite a different one.
