With over 130 attendees from telecom operators, industry bodies, analysts, and media, the event marked a significant milestone in the digital transformation of network operations.
The White Paper 3.0 builds upon two previous editions and advances the conversation from network-centric to truly intelligent, value-driven operations.
With Agentic AI and Digital Twin Network (DTN) technologies at its core, the paper envisions a new paradigm in which network operations are no longer dependent on human-machine collaboration alone, but evolve towards autonomy and closed-loop decision-making.
A three-year journey in intelligent operations
Lucas Lu, president of Huawei’s ICT assurance and operation services, described the launch as a major breakthrough: “White Paper 3.0 marks a significant breakthrough in the field of ‘service-centric intelligent operations transformation’. By applying innovative technologies such as Agentic AI and Network Digital Twin (DTN), we are redefining the operations model for CSPs.”
The paper’s evolution reflects the rapid transformation of the telecom industry. The 2023 edition (White Paper 1.0) introduced the “3P+1T” framework: People, Process, Platform, and Technology as a guide to service-centric operations. The 2024 edition brought LLMs and DTNs into the fold, allowing networks to semantically interpret operations.
This year, version 3.0 pushes boundaries further, embedding Agentic AI to shift operations into autonomous territory via the “Think-Act-Verify” cycle.
Reshaping the operations blueprint
A key takeaway from the paper is the shift from reactive monitoring to intelligent, predictive action. Over the last 12 months, Huawei has piloted use cases where DTN, LLM, and Agentic AI have enabled operations systems to autonomously detect anomalies, prioritise business-critical scenarios, and trigger self-healing responses.
The white paper outlines a clear transformation pathway, moving from automation tools supporting human engineers, to a model where AI leads operational decisions in real-time. The implications are vast: not only are costs reduced and response times improved, but CSPs can better serve customer expectations in an increasingly complex network environment.
TM Forum’s strategic framework
Richard Webb, senior analyst at TM Forum contextualised the journey. He introduced the EOT (Evaluate, Operate, Transfer) framework and described how White Paper 3.0 aligns with TM Forum’s core missions—Composable IT, Autonomous Networks, and Data & AI innovation.
Webb noted that Section 1 of the white paper examines the growing role of AI in reshaping service-centric operations and urges CSPs to think beyond internal efficiency metrics toward value delivered to the end customer.
Section 2 delves into the EOT framework’s application, linking it with TM Forum’s broader value operations models and autonomy maturity standards. Section 3 focuses on Agentic AI, showing how it changes the nature of human-machine interaction by placing AI as the lead “agent” in decision-making loops.
“Agentic AI takes us beyond tool-assisted operations,” he said. “It introduces an autonomous capability that’s not just scalable, but self-improving, and that’s the game-changer.”
A global collaboration: Real-world applications
Perhaps the most compelling part of the white paper is the inclusion of case studies from contributing CSPs. One particularly powerful example came from Raden Tofan Akbar, SVP and head of network operations at IOH Indonesia.
Presenting at the launch, Akbar described Indonesia’s vast and complex telecom landscape—with over 17,000 islands, 53,000 sites, and more than 1,000 weekly network changes. Following IOH’s 2022 merger, they embarked on an ambitious AI-driven transformation programme, executed in two phases.
The first phase focused on platform unification across 15 OEM suppliers, improving visibility and operational consistency. In 2024, they moved into advanced automation, with AI now powering fibre surveillance and network operations.
“To deploy AI is inevitable,” said Akbar. “From unreliable power supplies and extreme geography to high customer demands, we simply cannot meet our goals without automation and intelligence.”
He outlined three AI pillars guiding IOH’s transformation: AI as a telco enabler, AI for enterprise services, and AI for national development—including the launch of Sahabat AI, an Indonesian LLM initiative aimed at supporting youth and small businesses.
A value-driven approach to autonomy
Emmanuel Otchere, chair of the TM Forum’s autonomous operations project, added deep industry context. He argued that the real value of these frameworks lies in their ability to turn technical innovation into measurable business outcomes.
“What value does this technology bring to the business?” he asked. “We’ve built a blueprint that begins with operations strategy and ends with business metrics. It helps CSPs map their current state, define where they want to be, and benchmark progress.”
Otchere explained that TM Forum’s autonomy maturity model is built on six core dimensions, aligning with its digital maturity model and providing CSPs with a strategic, structured path toward autonomous operations. The RISE methodology: Revenue, Innovation, Satisfaction, and Efficiency—acts as a lens through which every technical investment must prove its worth.
“Every value stream introduced must map to a business outcome,” he said. “This is how we ensure the technology we’re excited about translates into results that matter.”
Looking ahead: Open, collaborative innovation
As Huawei and TM Forum continue their strategic partnership, both parties underscored the need for openness and industry collaboration. White Paper 3.0 is freely available and designed to be used, tested, and refined through real-world deployment.
The event concluded with a message of shared progress. “This isn’t just about Huawei’s vision,” said Richard. “It’s a cross-industry journey, and it’s only through partnership between vendors, operators, and standards bodies that we’ll reach the next frontier of autonomous, intelligent networks.”
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