Italy’s EOLO automates new 5G standalone FWA network with TM Forum AN framework

A fixed wireless access (FWA) operator, EOLO, provides high speed internet services over FWA to more than 700,000 households and businesses in small towns and rural regions in Italy that lack fiber or copper access networks, with the aim of ensuring that citizens in remote areas enjoy the same high-performance connectivity as major cities.

In what it describes as a European first, the company is rolling out a new 5G standalone mmWave radio access network to provide customers with 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) fixed wireless access. Drawing on its expertise in the mmWave technology, EOLO is advancing quality and performance beyond the 300 Mbps service currently available on its legacy FWA network creating new opportunities to serve retail, business and wholesale customers. At the same time, EOLO is enabling improvements to customer service through greater automation of network operations, supported by both TM Forum’s autonomous network [AN] framework and solid data foundations.

EOLO is working with multiple partners to build and deploy its new high speed 5G SA FWA network. It has turned to Nokia and ZTE for RAN solutions and fixed wireless access CPE terminals, powered by Qualcomm’s Dragonwing X75 platform. Core 5G Network relies on Mavenir for the Session Management Function and on 6Wind for the User Plane Function distributed over more than 2.500 IP edge routers, marking an industry-first both for design and for interoperability between SMF and UPF from two different vendors. Thales is providing eSIM Management platform.

When it comes to the automation of network operations, EOLO is working with Xacria to implement automated Closed-Loop Anomaly Detection and Resolution Automation based on TM Forum’s CLADRA (see diagram below). Specified by TM Forum members, CLADRA enables AI-driven closed-loop automation to detect anomalies, determine resolution and implement changes to the network within a continuous highly automated framework.

“In EOLO’s implementation, a human-in-the-loop assurance model enables AI to augment the expertise of network specialists who supervise service quality end-to-end. AI supports agents by interpreting operational data through a RAG-based knowledge system and it escalates cases to experts when the confidence level for autonomous action is not yet sufficient. This approach ensures that subject-matter experts always have consistent, context-rich insights to define the appropriate resolution intent,” says Antonio Carlini, CIO & CISO, Eolo Spa.

Carlini explains that this human-governed control framework is built on Xacria’s implementation of CLADRA, known as Xcladra. “Xcladra ingests and analyses data from network elements, identifies anomalies and applies corrective actions according to the intent rules defined by EOLO’s subject-matter experts. The system can operate the closed-loop both on-demand and in a fully autonomous mode. This capability is powered by Xacria’s OSS Suite, built on ODA certified components. Its modular architecture ensures the flexibility required for intent-driven operations while maintaining strict compliance with the TM Forum Autonomous Network Reference Architecture. This alignment guarantees interoperability and scalability, delivering a clear path toward predictive and AI-powered optimization, accelerating innovation and reducing operational complexity.”

EOLO anticipates achieving Autonomous Network Level 4 by deploying an autonomous closed-loop focused on a targeted set of KPIs that represent roughly 80% of customer-impacting network issues.

“This will translate into a higher quality of experience for customers. Issues may be resolved automatically before they are even noticed, and when they are not, the time-to-repair is significantly reduced. Customers can run diagnostics directly from the app and obtain an immediate resolution. And if they contact the call center, the agent can instantly confirm the issue and trigger a rapid fix,” Carlini says.

“We are using the final quarter of 2025 to refine accuracy and confidence levels on the 5G network through the human-triggered, on-demand closed loop already in operation,” he adds. “Our goal is to activate the fully autonomous closed-loop in the first quarter of 2026 with a first set of KPIs”

Building on strong data foundations

EOLO’s progress toward automation is underpinned by sustained investment in its data foundation. The new 5G SA network has been architected to continuously generate telemetry, streamed in real time to Kafka queues. These data feeds support both CLADRA-driven closed-loop actions and the creation of historical datasets within EOLO’s enterprise data platform.

“Data assets are the foundation of the transformation we launched three years ago,” states Carlini.

EOLO has consolidated all network, customer and external market data into a single data platform that also incorporates geographic and competitive intelligence. Because each dataset is anchored to a geospatial coordinate, the platform enables deep correlation and provides the basis for EOLO’s expanding use of artificial intelligence.

This unified architecture equips operational, commercial and customer-facing teams with the insights needed to make informed decisions, from planning network expansion to supporting marketing and sales initiatives, for example for identifying local areas and customer clusters ideally suited for EOLO’s 5G SA FWA offering.

“Analytics can reveal the competitive dynamics in each local area or highlight territories with connectivity patterns typical of second-home or commuters’ populations,” Carlini notes. “The platform also enables fast, localized responses to issues that could impact EOLO’s reputation or service perception.”

“We are bringing a broad and diverse set of data into a single environment, supported by the right technology,” Carlini adds. “By the first quarter of next year, we plan to establish a faster data loop to collect, process and distribute this information across the organization,” says Carlini, who concludes: “By guaranteeing

equal access to quality internet, EOLO enables people and companies to choose freely where to live, work and study.”