Operator Keynote: Turning the telco networks into a full capacity network
Reimagining Network Value, Exposure and Innovation for the Next Era of Telecoms
Reimagining the Role and Value of the Network
Gabriela Styf Sjöman, Managing Director of Research and Network Strategy at BT Group, opened her keynote by challenging the industry to unwire and rewire its thinking. She argued that if telecoms wants a different outcome, including greater value creation, stronger relevance, and sustainable business models, it must fundamentally reimagine the role of the network. Speed and coverage, she noted, are no longer differentiators. Instead, operators must focus on intent‑driven, service‑aware networks capable of anticipating needs, adapting in real time, and delivering tailored performance across a diverse range of use cases.
From Best‑Effort Networks to Full‑Capacity, Intent‑Driven Systems
The keynote emphasised that today’s networks, while robust and foundational to digital society, remain largely best‑effort systems. Meeting the demands of immersive consumer experiences, autonomous manufacturing, smart homes, and mission‑critical services requires a shift toward networks that are self‑optimising, self‑protecting, and capable of real‑time adaptation. This evolution is not only technical but economic: networks must scale efficiently, sustainably, and in ways that unlock new forms of value.
Disaggregation and De‑Layering
Styf Sjöman highlighted the industry’s multi‑year journey of disaggregation and de‑layering, which separates services from infrastructure and simplifies network architecture. This structural shift enables new capabilities, including enhanced protection, richer intelligence, and opportunities to expose network value in new ways. She stressed that the question is no longer what the network can do, but who will use the value it generates. The customer base is expanding beyond consumers and enterprises to a broader B2B‑to‑X ecosystem.
Network Exposure and the Rise of Programmable Network APIs
A central theme of the presentation was the growing importance of network exposure through programmable network APIs. While APIs themselves are not new, network APIs represent a significant evolution, enabling applications that are tightly integrated with network capabilities. For developers to adopt them, APIs must be discoverable, easy to use, easy to understand, and real‑time. Styf Sjöman referenced research showing that many developers do not yet understand the value of network APIs—reinforcing the need for education, standardisation, and accessible developer ecosystems.
Expanding the Customer Base and Rethinking Business Models
The keynote argued that network APIs open the door to new customer segments. Most enterprises do not build their own applications, meaning the real opportunity lies in B2B‑to‑X models where developers, platforms, and aggregators become primary consumers of network capabilities. This shift requires operators to rethink business models, moving away from introducing new technologies under legacy commercial frameworks. Transformative technologies, she emphasised, require transformative business models.
Differentiation Through Applied Innovation
Styf Sjöman highlighted BT’s strength in research and intellectual property, particularly in AI and cybersecurity. She described how BT is exploring applied APIs, which are capabilities built on proprietary insights such as advanced threat detection and self‑healing. These differentiated APIs can serve local markets, such as public safety or defence, where needs are highly situational. Recent UK‑wide collaborations on age verification and fraud prevention illustrate how operators can jointly expose capabilities at scale while still developing localised, value‑added services.
Accelerating Product Innovation and Internal Value Creation
The keynote also addressed the opportunity for operators to use network exposure to accelerate their own product innovation. Historically, telcos have struggled to launch new products due to complexity, cost, and long development cycles. Disaggregation and network exposure offer a path to faster, more flexible innovation—provided operators modernise OSS/BSS systems, adopt end‑to‑end orchestration, and enable intent‑driven service delivery.
A New Partnership Model for the Industry
Styf Sjöman stressed that success requires reimagining partnerships. Vendors and technology suppliers remain important, but co‑innovation with customers, cross‑industry collaboration, and sandbox environments are increasingly essential. Standards bodies also play a critical role in ensuring scalability and interoperability.
Reclaiming the Perceived Value of Connectivity
The keynote concluded with a call to action: the industry must reimagine the network, its customers, and its business models to reclaim the true value of connectivity. Only by unwiring and rewiring its role in the value chain can telecoms fully realise the potential of full‑capacity networks.