Sense, Think, Act: Making autonomous networks a reality

Views of Arvind Khurana, Regional Vice President and Country Head, Cloud and Network Services, Nokia India

Delivering the “Zero X” experience

Consumer and enterprise needs are evolving rapidly, with growing expectations for faster, more seamless services. To meet these changing demands, communication service providers (CSPs) must deliver what we call the “Zero X” experience – zero-wait (instant order fulfilment), zero-touch (automated service delivery), zero-trouble (ensuring flawless service) and zero-trust (built on a foundation of robust security). Achieving this level of experience requires CSPs to rethink how networks are managed – this is where autonomous networks come into play.

Leveraging the TM Forum’s Autonomous Network Maturity Model, Nokia provides a multidomain strategy that combines security, orchestration, assurance, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify complex network operations and enable the fully autonomous Zero X experience. Our vision goes beyond automating basic tasks; we are working towards networks that can self-manage, optimise and repair themselves across all domains – radio, transport, core and any cloud – while prioritising security and automation from the physical infrastructure to cloud-based applications.

The autonomous networks vision

In the telecom industry, the concept of an autonomous network is a long-term vision where networks operate independently, managing complex tasks such as optimisation, troubleshooting and service deployment with minimal human intervention. Although the industry has not fully reached this stage yet, we are making substantial progress using AI, machine learning (ML) and automation. We are dedicated to supporting CSPs on this journey. Our seamless, integrated approach automates all aspects of the network, across radio, transport, core and cloud. However, achieving autonomy is an ongoing journey.

Making “sense, think, act” the foundation

To move toward fully autonomous networks, we rely on the “sense, think, act” approach. “Sense” refers to collecting and normalising data across the network through observability techniques. This enables better management of cloud and network complexity while providing a real-time understanding of the dynamic nature of cloud infrastructure.

“Think” leverages AI and ML to analyse this data, generating actionable insights. This step focuses on enhancing data quality to enable smarter decision-making.

“Act” involves applying closed-loop automation to implement actions based on these insights, optimise network performance and resolve issues autonomously. Closed-loop automation accelerates customer order responses, eliminates friction, and ensures flawless service delivery and quality.

Together, these steps form the foundation of Nokia’s autonomous network strategy and are key to delivering the Zero X experience CSPs need.

Baking security into autonomous networks

Security is fundamental to the sense, think, act approach – without it, the framework would not be complete. At Nokia, we integrate security into every layer of the network, from physical infrastructure to operations support systems and business support systems, and cloud-based apps and services. This includes advanced threat detection, real-time monitoring and predictive security measures embedded at the network’s core. By building security in from the start, we create networks that can self-monitor, detect vulnerabilities early and self-heal without the need for human intervention, while keeping operations secure. This approach is especially critical as our industry continues to evolve.

For comprehensive security, we leverage our NetGuard Cybersecurity Dome, a software suite that offers real-time visibility across networks, cloud infrastructure and endpoints, unifying security control points. It is designed with preconfigured 5G use cases for CSPs and critical infrastructure enterprises. Moreover, it offers security telemetry, and delivers analytics and operations in a single view, all with the goal of strengthening network resiliency.

Achieving true network autonomy involves simplifying the complexities that CSPs face, enhancing network efficiency and resiliency, and unlocking new revenue opportunities. We offer a multidomain, multivendor approach, seamlessly integrating AI-driven operations, analytics and security across radio, transport, core and cloud networks. With our extensive network expertise, a strong emphasis on embedded security, and the sense, think, act approach, we enable CSPs to transformboth their networks as well as their business operations.