The highly anticipated FutureNet 2023 event kicked off with a burst of energy and enthusiasm on its first day. The event promised insights into the future of telcos and network services as it gathered some of the brightest minds in the telecommunications industry. The day began with opening remarks from the event's founder and CEO, Giles Cummings, and Andrew Collinson, the founder and principal of Connective Insight.
The day's discussions centered around the theme "Beyond Connectivity & The Future Telco," exploring new disruptors and drivers of growth in the telecom sector.
The morning session commenced with a keynote address by Dr. Ong Geok Chwee, CEO of Bridge Alliance. Dr. Chwee delved into the significance of AI and APIs as disruptors and emphasized the importance of customer-centric strategies in the telco industry.
The event's first keynote panel featured industry leaders, including Thomas Hundt of Axiata, Lim Seng Kong from Singtel Enterprise Business, Eugene Teh Yee from Telenor Asia, Mehrdad Ekbatani from Amdocs and Andrew Collinson. The group discussed the evolving role of telcos, the impact of hyperscale cloud providers, and the importance of delayering for future business models.
"The purpose is to bring new individuals into the organization, which will allow us to focus more on how we present and introduce new products or ideas," explained Yee.
During the talk, Yee concluded, "We are all working towards transitioning Telenor from primarily selling connectivity services to selling data and insights as our main product. As part of this strategy, it is important to bring in the right people and put an end to certain practices."
Mohammad Faiz, Head of OSS Solution Engineering at Amdocs, gave a presentation on the network of the future and how telcos can evolve to meet the demands of 5G, IoT, and AI.
The event's focus then shifted to exploring the transformation of telcos into techcos. In a keynote panel moderated by Yesmean Luk, industry experts Eugene Teh Yee, Jay Nagarajan from Amazon Web Services, and Stephen Spellicy from VMware shared their relevant observations.
The mid-morning session probed the subject of Network as a Service and Platform, discussing business models, marketplaces, and the challenges of integrating APIs. Henry Calvert of GSMA moderated this panel, with insights from Joanna Knox of Telstra, Si Cheng Choon of Singtel, Alfian Manullang from Telkomsel and Vinod Joseph from VMware.
In the afternoon, the fruitful discussions continued with panels focusing on orchestrating network services, 5G monetization and the role of telcos in mobile private networks. Experts from various companies like MyRepublic, StarHub, Telenor Asia and CBC Tech shared their insights on these topics.
As the day progressed, attention turned to the promise of edge computing and automation, with presentations and discussions on how to deliver on the potential of edge networks, as well as transforming telco operations to be intent-driven.
The day concluded with discussions on operational transformation, zero-touch automation, new operating models, ecosystems, and partnerships, featuring thoughtful input from industry leaders and experts.
FutureNet 2023 Day 1 was replete with knowledge sharing and networking, offering valuable insights into the future of telecommunications, from 5G to edge computing and beyond. With another exciting day ahead on October 19, attendees eagerly anticipate further detailed investigations into the ever-evolving telecom landscape.
