James Pearce, TelecomTV:
Switzerland is famed for its mountains, chocolate, and of course its watches. And with the telecoms industry gathering in Zurich this week for Ericsson's OSS/BSS Summit 2026, there's plenty of talk about making networks run like clockwork. The theme this year is autonomous networks - elevating experience, unlocking value - with AI, automation, and monetisation dominating the agenda. Swisscom was the headline partner for this year's summit, with its Chief Technology and Information Officer, Mark Düsener, delivering a keynote on how new network architectures can help operators move from complexity towards autonomy. Other operators taking to the stage include Verizon, discussing cognitive closed-loop operations, Vodafone on the importance of getting data and OSS foundations right, and AT&T on breaking down data silos to improve network assurance. And there's a strong focus on agentic AI, with operators exploring how intelligent systems could increasingly manage and optimise their networks with less human intervention. Of course, Ericsson also has a number of demonstrations for attendees to get their teeth into, showcasing everything from agentic network intelligence and AI-powered customer experience assurance to service orchestration and new approaches to monetisation. So what are the key takeaways from Zurich? Automation is vital, but it isn't an end goal in itself. Operators looking to introduce more automation into their networks need to have clear goals in mind, or risk missing out on the benefits it can bring. When it comes to monetisation, value can be driven by differentiated experiences. And trusted data will play a vital role as we move into the agentic era. With all that in mind, as the doors shut on another year of Ericsson's OSS/BSS Summit, we're looking forward to seeing where the industry is on its automation journey next year.