Towards Autonomous Networks: challenges and directions
Wednesday, 4 June 2025, 11:00 – 12:30, room EH.A (level2)
Session Chair:
- Halina Tarasiuk (Orange, PL)
- Ilhem Fajjari (Orange, FR)
The evolution toward 6G is expected to drive the emergence of innovative use cases, including sensing-assisted communication, multiple robot networking and collaboration, AI agent-driven interactions, and multilateral ecosystems. This evolution is accelerating the development toward Autonomous Networks. These networks are capable of self-configuration, self-healing, self-optimization, and self-evolution, leveraging automation and artificial intelligence to offer zero wait, zero touch, and zero trouble services. Such networks significantly enhance user experience, operational efficiency, and business agility by providing fully automated, self-healing, and self-optimizing capabilities.
The implementation of Autonomous Networks involves a strategic shift from fragmented, manual, and siloed network operations toward fully automated, intelligent closed-loop systems. These systems utilize AI-driven, Intent-Based Network (IBN) automation to dynamically manage network resources, improve energy efficiency, optimize operations, and proactively manage customer experiences and expectations.
Emerging AI methodologies, particularly Multi-Agent Systems, Deep Learning, and Generative AI (GenAI), are pivotal for enabling intelligent, distributed decision-making across network domains. However, deploying Autonomous Networks introduces challenges around agent coordination, AI model accuracy, operational complexity, and sustainability.
This special session invites industry experts, researchers, and practitioners to collaborate and exchange insights, methodologies, and practical experiences in deploying Autonomous Networks. The session aims to foster discussions on architectural innovation, standards evolution, AI integration, and operational strategies to overcome existing limitations, enabling the telecom industry to effectively transition toward fully Autonomous Networks, aligned with emerging 6G scenarios and requirements.
Program:
11:00 – 11:05: Opening – Halina Tarasiuk, ORANGE, PL, Ilhem Fajjari, ORANGE, FR
11:05 – 11:20: Talk by Prof. Antonio Skarmeta, University of Murcia, ES, 6G-Cloud and RIGOUROUS projects
Title of the talk:
Distributed Management and Orchestration in the Continuum for 6G networks
11:20 – 11:35: Talk by Dr. Raül Muñoz, CTTC, ES, Hexa-X-II project
Title of the talk:
End-to-end Multi-Stakeholder Intent-based service management automation for 6G Networks
11:35 – 12:05: Talk by Dr. Stephen Mwanje, Dr. Ishan Vaishnavi, NOKIA, GE
Title of the talk:
Cognitive Autonomous Networks in 6G
12:05 – 12:20: Talk by Dr. Emil Kowalczyk, ORANGE, PL
Title of the talk:
Business-driven Autonomous Network
12:20 – 12:30: Q&A and Closing
