Unlocking cross-domain barriers in autonomous networks through digital twins
The report examines the limitations of current telecom network automation, particularly amid growing complexity in infrastructure, services, and quality requirements. In an environment defined by increased virtualisation and the proliferation of cross-domain interactions, local optimisation is no longer adequate: decisions optimised at the domain level may actually undermine overall performance and impede the development of true end-to-end autonomy.
To address this fragmentation, the report proposes introducing a digital network twin capable of representing and simulating the network across all technical domains and the service layer. Through the federation and unification of data, along with an explicit mapping of dependencies, this digital twin provides artificial intelligence with a reference environment. This enables AI to explain network states, predict the impact of interventions, and recommend multi-domain optimisations.
The analysis also underscores the operational and economic challenges involved. The capability to simulate and balance trade-offs between performance, capacity, energy consumption, and service commitments is becoming a critical lever for mitigating risks related to network changes and for enhancing operational stability.
To address this fragmentation, the report proposes introducing a digital network twin capable of representing and simulating the network across all technical domains and the service layer. Through the federation and unification of data, along with an explicit mapping of dependencies, this digital twin provides artificial intelligence with a reference environment. This enables AI to explain network states, predict the impact of interventions, and recommend multi-domain optimisations.
The analysis also underscores the operational and economic challenges involved. The capability to simulate and balance trade-offs between performance, capacity, energy consumption, and service commitments is becoming a critical lever for mitigating risks related to network changes and for enhancing operational stability.
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2. MARKET CONTEXT AND DRIVERS
2.1. The limits of automation and the shift towards intent-based management
2.2. Risk management, energy optimisation and the need for a network twin
3. TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW
3.1. What a network digital twin is & architecture principles
3.2. Reference architecture
3.3. How the cross-domain network twin works
4. VALUE CHAIN
5. MARKET SIZE AND FORECASTS
5.1. Telecom AIOps and platform
5.2. Observability and network assurance
5.3. Telecom network automation
5.4. Network digital twins
6. USE CASES AND DEPLOYMENT SCENARIOS
6.1. Telenet: managing the impact of planned changes on services and customers
6.2. BT, AWS and Celfocus: unified assurance and multi-domain root cause analysis
6.3. AT&T and Ericsson: pre-deployment simulation for planning
7. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
7.1. Challenges
7.2. Opportunities
8. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1. Recommendations for strategic management
8.2. Recommendations for network and IT management
8.3. Recommendations for regulators and investors
2. MARKET CONTEXT AND DRIVERS
2.1. The limits of automation and the shift towards intent-based management
2.2. Risk management, energy optimisation and the need for a network twin
3. TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW
3.1. What a network digital twin is & architecture principles
3.2. Reference architecture
3.3. How the cross-domain network twin works
4. VALUE CHAIN
5. MARKET SIZE AND FORECASTS
5.1. Telecom AIOps and platform
5.2. Observability and network assurance
5.3. Telecom network automation
5.4. Network digital twins
6. USE CASES AND DEPLOYMENT SCENARIOS
6.1. Telenet: managing the impact of planned changes on services and customers
6.2. BT, AWS and Celfocus: unified assurance and multi-domain root cause analysis
6.3. AT&T and Ericsson: pre-deployment simulation for planning
7. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
7.1. Challenges
7.2. Opportunities
8. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1. Recommendations for strategic management
8.2. Recommendations for network and IT management
8.3. Recommendations for regulators and investors
LIST OF TABLES
4. Value chain
Table 1: Value chain for network digital twins
5. Market size and forecasts
Figure 1: AIOps market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
Figure 2: Network observability and assurance, APM and telecoms market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
Figure 3: Global and telecoms network automation market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
Figure 4: Global and telecoms digital twins market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
4. Value chain
Table 1: Value chain for network digital twins
5. Market size and forecasts
Figure 1: AIOps market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
Figure 2: Network observability and assurance, APM and telecoms market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
Figure 3: Global and telecoms network automation market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
Figure 4: Global and telecoms digital twins market from 2024 to 2030 in billions of euros
