NEW YORK and LONDON and BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Questex’s Fierce Network TV (FNTV) today released its 2026 Networked Agentic AI Index, a comparative assessment of how major telecom and cloud vendors are deploying networked agentic AI inside live carrier environments.
The report, AI Agents of Change, authored by Stephen M. Saunders MBE, concludes that the future of telecom AI will be decided not by who has the biggest models — but by who controls orchestration.
Ericsson tops the index (15/15), followed closely by Nokia (14/15), reflecting strong carrier trust, bounded autonomy models, and conservative placement of large language models (LLMs) outside live control paths.
Erik Ekudden, CTO of Ericsson, reinforces that architectural philosophy:
“You cannot add AI as an afterthought. It has to be built into the network fabric — distributed, energy-aware, and capable of autonomous decision-making across domains.”
Gary Smith, CEO of Ciena, emphasizes the same determinism bias in core infrastructure:
“For the foreseeable future, the core management of the network has to remain deterministic.”
From the operator side, Philippe Ensarguet, VP of Software Engineering at Orange, frames the hierarchy clearly:
“Infrastructure carries data. Data enables automation. Automation enables AI — in that order.”
And even among the most cloud-forward U.S. operators, caution prevails. John Keib, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Google Fiber, notes:
“I don’t know if we ever get to five. The industry consensus is that four is the reach goal.”
2026 FNTV Networked Agentic AI Index
Top Tier (Above the Kármán Line – 10 Points)
- Ericsson — 15
- Nokia — 14
- Amdocs — 12
- Ciena / Blue Planet — 12
- Huawei — 12
These vendors reflect deterministic-first architectures, disciplined LLM placement, and deep operational credibility within five-nines environments.
Middle Tier: Guarded Experimentation
- Cisco
- HPE (Juniper)
- IBM / Red Hat
- Samsung Networks
These players are advancing agentic capabilities but maintaining tighter execution boundaries.
Below the Line: Hyperscaler Logic
- AWS
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud
- Alibaba Cloud
- Mavenir
- Rakuten Symphony
- ZTE
Lower rankings reflect cloud-centric orchestration models that embed probabilistic reasoning deeper into operational tooling — an approach that remains culturally and operationally misaligned with carrier-grade expectations for deterministic control.
All Ranked Vendors Will Be at MWC26
Importantly, every company included in the Index will be exhibiting at MWC26 in Barcelona, making the show floor the live arena for this architectural debate.
Where To See Networked Agentic AI at MWC26
| Vendor | MWC26 Booth | |
| Alibaba Cloud | Hall 2, 2C74 | |
| Amdocs | Hall 3, 3G10 | |
| AWS | Upper-Level South Entrance | |
| Ciena (Blue Planet) | Hall 2, 2J51 | |
| Cisco | Hall 3 | |
| Ericsson | Hall 2 | |
| Google Cloud | TBD | |
| HPE (Juniper) | Hall 3, 3N10 | |
| Huawei | Hall 1, 1H50 | |
| IBM / Red Hat | Hall 2, 2H20 (IBM), 2F30 (RH) | |
| Mavenir | Hall 2, 2H60 | |
| Microsoft Azure | Congress Sq, CS54 | |
| NEC | TBD | |
| Netcracker | Hall 2, 2G20 | |
| Nokia | Hall 3, 3B20 | |
| Oracle | TBD | |
| Samsung Networks | Hall 5, 5J64 | |
| ZTE | TBD |
Caption: Information compiled from GSMA listings and vendor announcements ahead of MWC 2026.
The Core Finding
The report concludes that orchestration is now the strategic battleground. AI is no longer just analytics layered on top of operations — it is increasingly influencing what the network does next.
The critical question is not whether to deploy agentic AI — but where to place probabilistic reasoning inside live control systems.
Carriers are not rejecting AI. They are insisting that autonomy remain bounded, explainable, and accountable.
As MWC26 opens in Barcelona, the global telecom industry will be debating a fundamental question:
In a five-nines world, how much probabilistic intelligence is too much?
To access the 2026 FNTV Networked Agentic AI Index, click here.
For FNTV sponsorship opportunities, contact Scott Gruntorad at sgruntorad@questex.com.
About FNTV
FNTV provides independent analysis of telecom infrastructure, AI orchestration, and carrier strategy, with a focus on operational credibility and real-world deployment maturity.
About Questex
Questex fuels exceptional business connections—where every buyer and seller interaction matters. Through live events enriched with data insights and active year-round digital communities, we deliver measurable results. It happens here.
Media Contact:
Charlene Soucy
FNTV
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