FutureNet Asia 2026: Can AI unlock the next wave of telco value?

Blog — 23 Oct, 2026

FutureNet Asia 2026: Can AI unlock the next wave of telco value?

As telecom operators move from AI experimentation toward autonomous operations, the focus is shifting from what AI can automate to what it can enable, from new sources of value and programmable services to more adaptive and resilient network operations. At FutureNet Asia 2026, held Sept. 22–23 in Singapore, discussions around AI monetization, network programmability, resilience and data-driven intelligence explored how AI can make networks more adaptive and responsive while creating new opportunities for service innovation, customer experience and revenue growth.

The Take

AI is expanding the telco opportunity beyond connectivity, with programmable networks, APIs and AI-enabled services creating potential new revenue streams.
Autonomy is becoming an operational proposition, helping operators move from reactive network management toward prediction, prevention and faster response.
The business case for AI will increasingly depend on measurable outcomes across revenue, customer experience, resilience and operational performance.

In the "Telco Reinvention: How AI Can Fuel Value Creation?" keynote, experts from XL Smart, StarHub Ltd., True Corporation and Rakuten Symphony explored how operators can move beyond AI-driven cost efficiencies toward new sources of value. The discussion highlighted opportunities to leverage network programmability, connectivity, data and AI to develop new enterprise services across areas such as security, edge capabilities and customer experience.

The broader opportunity is to reposition the operator from a connectivity provider to an intelligent platform within the AI ecosystem. As networks become more programmable and AI agents increasingly interact with network capabilities, operators could expose connectivity, data and network intelligence in ways that allow enterprises and AI applications to consume these capabilities dynamically.

Resilient Networks in an Era of Disruption: Futureproofing through Network Automation & AI

If monetization represents one side of the opportunity, resilience and operational responsiveness represent another. The panel, “Resilient Networks in an Era of Disruption: Futureproofing through Network Automation & AI,” opened with a question from S&P Global Market Intelligence research analyst Divya Keshwani: “How do you futureproof a network when the future itself is becoming harder to predict?” The discussion explored the evolution from automation to autonomy, with Ankur Jain, Director, BT International Ltd., distinguishing predefined automation from AI-driven autonomy that can interpret changing conditions and make decisions.

Bringing an engineering perspective, Anuradha Udunuwara, Senior Engineer, Sri Lanka Telecom PLC, noted that operators are progressing incrementally through different levels of autonomy, with many CSPs currently around Levels 2–3 of the TM Forum framework. He emphasized that achieving higher levels of autonomy requires more than AI; it depends on softwareisation, data maturity and the integration of legacy and modern systems across complex brownfield environments.

Agentic AI & Data-Driven Intelligence: The Telco Playbook for Autonomous Networks

If resilience is the operational case for autonomy, governance is its precondition. In the “Women in Telco & Data” panel, experts from Telkom Indonesia, Telenor, Rakuten Mobile Singapore Pte. Ltd. and Ericsson highlighted that autonomous networks would require strong data governance, federated architectures and clear controls over AI agents. Sensitive data must be classified and protected, while defined thresholds and human handoffs will ensure autonomous actions remain governed and accountable. The discussion also highlighted opportunities beyond efficiency, including monetization, faster time to market, network APIs and revenue protection.

Across the sessions at FutureNet Asia 2026, a broader picture emerged of operators exploring how AI can move from individual use cases toward more integrated network intelligence, automation and programmability. The conversations pointed to a next phase in which the focus is not simply on deploying AI, but on connecting it to network data and systems, establishing the governance required for greater autonomy and demonstrating tangible business and operational value.

Clients can access the full article here.

Clients can explore the S&P Global research series for further insights into AI-driven telco infrastructure across APAC.

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This article was published by S&P Global Market Intelligence and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.