India hosts ITU focus group meeting to advance AI-native telecom networks

India is hosting the third meeting of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN), signalling its growing leadership in next-generation telecom innovation. Organised by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the three-day global event marks a significant step towards AI-native networks that promise self-optimisation, real-time adaptability, and seamless connectivity.

AI-native networks represent a paradigm shift in telecom architecture by embedding Artificial Intelligence directly into the network fabric. This integration is expected to support dynamic and intelligent orchestration across network domains, improve the quality of service, reduce call drops, and enable advanced services across urban and rural landscapes.

The New Delhi meet brings together global experts, government officials, academia, and industry stakeholders to deliberate on foundational changes required in network design to fully harness AI. Topics under discussion include federated learning models for telecom, AI use cases for 6G, autonomous agents in networks, and applications such as AI-based SIM verification and disaster-resilient communication systems.

The event also sees India leveraging the platform for strategic diplomatic and leadership initiatives. India formally proposed to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030 (PP-30) and announced its candidacy for continued membership in the ITU Council (2027–2031). It has also nominated M Revathi as a candidate for Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (2027–30), the first woman and regional representative to be proposed for this role.

Established in July 2024 by ITU-T Study Group 13, FG-AINN is tasked with charting a roadmap for embedding AI in telecom infrastructure. The group’s efforts are central to shaping standards and frameworks that can support smart cities, healthcare, education, and digital inclusion on a global scale.

With India’s technical and policy contributions, the FG-AINN meeting is set to reinforce international cooperation and fast-track the evolution of intelligent telecom systems worldwide.