Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning , Cloud Security , Microsoft Ignite

Overcoming Hurdles in Telecom Network Automation

Telecom companies face pressure to automate complex processes, yet many struggle to justify early investments. Automation is often perceived as a bunch of scattered tasks, and a lack of structured approach and measurable use cases leads to stalled buy-in from the organization, said Gustavo Duarte, vice president of sales for cloud and network services at Nokia.

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"A lot of the struggle comes from the lack of a clear vision, and how and where do you start identifying use cases that are not too big, not too risky, but also that has enough value that can be quantifiable," Duarte said.

Automation proves most effective when teams apply it to time-consuming tasks within self-contained departments, he said. "The moment you start allocating automation, and you put automation around it, you start freeing up those brain resources for other more complex tasks."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at Microsoft Ignite 2025, Duarte also discussed:

• Partner-supported pilot environments that lower automation risk;
• The role of standards in synchronizing data, APIs and network protocols;
• The move toward 6G-ready autonomous networks.

Duarte oversees Nokia's Autonomous Networks application portfolio in North America, which includes security, monetization and analytics solutions. He is also responsible for growth and strengthening partnerships with existing business accounts. He has held multiple leadership roles across the telecom software, technology sales and business development domains over the past 15 years.