e& and TM Forum announce strategic blueprint for Autonomous Networks in the AI era

e& and TM Forum announce strategic blueprint for Autonomous Networks in the AI era

New white paper outlines e& UAE's roadmap towards Level 4/5 Autonomous Networks, aligning AI-native operations, intent-based orchestration and cross-domain intelligence with TM Forum's global framework

Abu Dhabi, UAE/ Copenhagen, Denmark, 22 June 2026: e& UAE and TM Forum today announced the release of "The Path to Full Autonomy: e& UAE's Strategic Blueprint for Network Transformation in the AI Era" on the sidelines of DTW Ignite 2026 in Copenhagen. The new white paper outlines e& UAE's practical roadmap for advancing telecom networks towards high-level Autonomous Networks.

It sets out e& UAE's vision to move from traditional automation towards AI-native, intent-driven and closed-loop operations. It provides a structured blueprint for how telecom operators can evolve network operations from manual and reactive models to intelligent, self-optimising and self-healing networks, while keeping human governance and policy controls at the centre.

At the heart of the blueprint is e& UAE's Autonomous Network "DNA", built around five core pillars: cross-domain intelligence, AI-native and vendor-agnostic operations, agentic and open-source enablement, end-to-end closed-loop automation, and customer-centric AI. The paper also aligns e& UAE's implementation roadmap with TM Forum's Autonomous Networks architecture, high-value scenarios and effectiveness measurement framework.

e& UAE's roadmap focuses on four clear business outcomes: improving O&M efficiency, enhancing customer experience, reducing energy consumption, and accelerating service delivery. The strategy targets progressive evolution towards Level 4 Autonomous Networks by 2030, while preparing the foundation for Level 5 self-evolving networks beyond 2030.

Marwan Bin Shakar, Chief Technology Officer, e& UAE, said: "The future of telecoms will be defined by networks that can think, learn, and act autonomously. At e& UAE, we see Autonomous Networks as a strategic enabler of the AI era, transforming networks from operational infrastructure into intelligent digital platforms. Our roadmap combines AI-native operations, agentic intelligence, and closed-loop automation to create networks that are more resilient, efficient, and customer-centric. By working closely with TM Forum, we are helping bridge industry vision and real-world implementation, accelerating the path toward Level 4 and Level 5 autonomy while supporting broader ambitions around sovereign AI, digital transformation, and next-generation connectivity."

George Glass, Chief Technology Officer, TM Forum, said: "Autonomous Networks are central to the future of the AI-native telco. The industry now needs to move from pilots to measurable value, using common architecture, open APIs, high-value scenarios and standard assessment frameworks. e& UAE's blueprint is a strong example of how an operator can connect business outcomes with technical capability, governance and real operational implementation. This type of contribution is important for accelerating the industry's collective journey towards Level 4 and beyond."

The white paper highlights that Autonomous Networks are no longer a future concept, but a practical transformation path for operators facing rising network complexity, increasing customer expectations, multi-vendor integration challenges and growing energy pressures. It also details the role of AI agents, digital twins, data platforms, intent-driven orchestration and open APIs in enabling scalable autonomy across RAN, Core, Transport, IP and Fixed domains.

Through this initiative, e& UAE aims to share its architecture, roadmap, implementation approach and lessons learned with the wider industry, supporting TM Forum's work to accelerate the adoption of autonomous operations across the global connectivity ecosystem.