3 key requirements for autonomous networking

As communications service providers expand global connectivity, they face challenges such as network complexity, the rollout of 5G, an influx of IoT devices, and severe staff shortages. To address these issues effectively, many are turning to autonomous networking, which aims to streamline processes, enhance service delivery with new intelligent features and resilience, and reduce costs by eliminating manual tasks.

Achieving autonomous networking

The vision of autonomous networks has existed for some time, and it’s generally agreed that it’s the next evolutionary step for networks. With extensive industry focus (this ETSI paper is a good example of initiatives in motion), it’s closer than you might think. Here’s how it could work:

• Simplify networks: simple networks move faster. Integrating cloud-native technologies or reducing network layers can offer scalability and flexibility.
• Automate: automate every step of your stack with open APIs for seamless cross-stack communication and orchestration.
• Build data intelligence: incorporate AI and machine learning (ML) to create intelligent workflows.

This combination is crucial for transitioning to autonomous networking, where the goal is for networks to self-configure, heal, optimize, and protect with minimal human intervention. Each step on the path to autonomous networking unlocks new opportunities to reduce labor-intensive manual effort. As that happens, people can perform higher-value work, taking on elevated roles in incident detection, investigation, and response.

The path will vary: some companies may pursue zero-touch provisioning. Others may prioritize auto-resolution for security incidents or customer issues. No matter where they start, each step can help lower costs and improve experiences for both customers and employees.

Three key advancements required for autonomous networking

Companies can move closer to autonomous networking by following a roadmap that evolves with technology, avoids operational disruption, and earns employee buy-in.

Moving toward autonomous networking involves several key advancements:

1. Automated monitoring and anomaly detection: deploy systems that automatically detect anomalies and performance issues. By establishing baseline performance metrics, organizations can identify deviations early and prevent service disruptions.
   
2. Root cause analysis and troubleshooting: implement automated tools that detect issues, perform root cause analysis, and apply fixes autonomously. This reduces the need for manual intervention, allowing experts to focus on strategic improvements.
   
3. Remediation and reporting: if communications and media companies don’t respond quickly to incidents, issues can spread and damage customer perception along the way. Automatic detection and resolution of network faults help ensure service availability. Security incidents in particular demand speed. Use SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) tools to automate security tasks. This approach streamlines threat detection and response, reducing alert fatigue and freeing security teams to address more complex issues. Automated reporting also simplifies and speeds up reporting processes.

Ensure cross-stack visibility

For autonomous networking to be effective, comprehensive cross-stack visibility is essential. A unified view allows for end-to-end monitoring, anomaly detection, and root-cause analysis from a single platform. This visibility ensures AI and ML tools can operate efficiently, enabling proactive incident management and optimization.

The path to digital resilience and autonomous networking is progressing steadily. By integrating cloud-native technologies, APIs, AI, and ML, service providers can move toward a fully automated, self-managing network. Each step toward autonomy enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and improves customer experiences, positioning companies as industry leaders.

To explore how these technologies can transform your operations, visit our Communications and Media solutions page and learn more about our approach to achieving autonomous networking.