Telstra International unveils network of the future vision

Responding more efficiently to the rapid growth in capacity demand from businesses increasingly adopting cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI) is a challenge for all enterprise networking firms.

In response to this challenge, Telstra International has unveiled its vision for its network of the future built around a highly autonomous framework that it said will have the capability to transform customers’ experiences in a zero-touch, secure and resilient way.

The global arm of telecommunications and technology company Telstra said that its vision and roadmap for the international network, aligning with its parent’s broader corporate strategy, represents a fundamental shift in how it manages and operates its international network.

Fundamentally, by 2030 it will have built a highly autonomous network able to detect under-utilised routes and turn capacity up or down to respond to changes or detect vulnerabilities such as temperature levels and move traffic off those to avoid outages.

In addition to ensuring sufficient capacity for future customer needs and cloudifying the infrastructure layer, the upgraded network – using optical technology from Infinera and Ciena – is being designed to be able to configure, monitor and maintain itself by using technologies such as built-in AI, machine learning (ML) and cognitive computing.

As part of its plan, Telstra International is upgrading its subsea cable infrastructure to more than 800 Tbps of total lit capacity to meet customers’ increasing bandwidth consumption, data centre demands and the growth in global backbone networks fuelled by cloud and AI applications across key global routes, including intra-Asia, Transpacific and Asia to Australia.

In the new infrastructure, Telstra International is using Infinera’s solution to cloudify the infrastructure layer with decoupled software and hardware that it claims will “significantly increase” the available subsea and backhaul capacity with greater flexibility. This is also foundational to the ambition for a highly autonomous network.

On its network evolution,Telstra International said that it has reached foundational milestones with the simplification of its network architecture, the removal of legacy platforms, and the introduction of next-generation network inventory and management systems using Ciena’s Blue Planet inventory management.

AI, ML and cognitive computing will be implemented over the next five years for network self-management and standard-based APIs will simplify interoperability, enabling the faster roll-out of innovative solutions and improving customer experiences.

The company also regards quality data, inventory management and the development of a digital twin of the network infrastructure as central to the network vision. The digital twin will act as a virtual replica of the physical network, enabling real-time monitoring, simulation and optimisation of network operations.

By using AI, ML and cognitive computing, Telstra International claims that the digital twin will provide “unparalleled” insights into network performance, facilitating proactive management and continuous improvement.

“With the scale of our subsea network in the Pacific, this move will better position us to ensure the stability of the world’s digital connectivity, and support the future growth of local economies,” said Roary Stasko, CEO Telstra International.

“By focusing on intent-driven outcomes, we are paving the way for a more resilient, efficient and customer-centric network. We expect to see traffic grow at a much faster rate, at least three times by 2030, with the development of AI which drives the need for more capacity and a network that covers vast areas of society.

“To deliver this, we need a step change. We are transforming our network at all layers and innovating with strategic partners to apply the principles of virtualised and cloud technologies to the network.”