Allen Tang, President of ICT Marketing & Solution Sales, Huawei Middle East & Central Asia
Global telecom operators are shifting from small AI pilots to industrialized deployments focused first on OPEX efficiency and better customer experience, especially via AI-powered care, virtual agents, and network operations automation. They are investing in cloud-native OSS/BSS and modern data platforms as prerequisites, while vendors embed AI and GenAI into OSS/BSS to enable intent-driven, increasingly autonomous networks. At the same time, operators are exploring “networks for AI” models to open new revenue streams, supported by AI “factories,” stronger governance, and tighter partnerships with technology leaders.
Artificial intelligence is now recognized as a core enabler of telecom operators’ TechCo transformation. After adopting the Techco1.0 framework to guide this evolution, operators are entering a new phase in which AI sits at the centre of global telecom strategy.
In line with rapid technology development trends, Huawei has enhanced its Techco1.0 framework with a new blueprint for growth—one that redefines how operators compete, how industries operate, and how individuals experience technology. We call this blueprint Techco2.0 that is more than a digital transformation plan; it represents a structural shift in how value is created, delivered, and scaled in the AI era.
At the core of Techco2.0 lies the D.N.A. Growth Model, a re‑architecture of the fundamental elements that underpin modern digital economies. It reframes connectivity, computing, data, models, platforms, and scenarios as dynamic, interdependent components of intelligent growth. Together, they form a new operating logic for organizations seeking to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by intelligent agents, inference‑centric computing, and scenario‑driven innovation.
A New Architecture for Intelligent Growth
The first major shift in the D.N.A. model is the evolution of connectivity. For decades, telecom networks were designed to connect people to people. Today, the paradigm is shifting toward connecting people to intelligent agents, and agents to each other. Networks such as Huawei’s MI and the emerging 3A architectures are transforming connectivity into a living, adaptive fabric capable of supporting autonomous decision‑making and real‑time inference. In this new landscape, connectivity is no longer a passive utility. It becomes the nervous system of the AI ecosystem.
Computing is undergoing a similarly profound transformation. The industry’s early focus on training ever‑larger models is giving way to a more pragmatic reality: inference is where value is realized. The future belongs to computing architectures optimized for low‑latency, high‑efficiency inference across cloud, edge, and device. This requires AI‑ready data centres, heterogeneous compute platforms, and distributed intelligence that can operate seamlessly across environments. Training builds intelligence, but inference operationalizes it, and operationalization is where economic impact emerges.
Data, long described as the “new oil,” is finally being treated as a productive factor rather than a passive resource. Techco2.0 reframes data as an active input into value creation, requiring real‑time analytics, cross‑domain integration, and governance frameworks that enable safe, scalable reuse. In this model, data is not something organizations collect. It is something they activate.
Models, too, are evolving. While general‑purpose AI models have captured global attention, the next wave of competitive advantage will come from domain‑specific, proprietary models that encode industry knowledge and scenario‑specific expertise. These models deliver higher accuracy, reduce hallucinations, and become strategic intellectual property. In the AI era, a company’s model becomes its moat.
Platforms are expanding from single‑business systems into intelligent digital ecosystems. Legacy IT architectures built around business silos cannot support the horizontal intelligence required for AI‑native operations. The new generation of platforms integrates connectivity, cloud, data, and applications into unified environments that enable end‑to‑end automation, cross‑domain intelligence, and rapid scenario deployment.
And finally, scenarios, the real battleground of AI competitiveness, are shifting from resource‑based approaches to know‑how‑driven intelligence. AI thrives in well‑defined scenarios where data, models, and workflows converge. Scenario intelligence becomes the new competitive currency.
The Three Pillars of AI‑Driven Transformation
Techco2.0 brings the D.N.A. model to life through three transformation pillars: AI‑Advanced Business, AI‑Native Operations, and AI‑Driven Infrastructure.
The first pillar, AI‑Advanced Business, focuses on reinventing value through intelligent experience. For individuals and families, this means seamless, personalized, anticipatory services, from smart home orchestration to context‑aware mobile experiences. For industries, it means one‑stop enablement through the integration of networks, cloud, and AI. Operators evolve from bandwidth providers to strategic partners offering Model‑as‑a‑Service, quantum communications, and industry‑specific AI agents. Crucially, AI also unlocks new revenue models, turning user experience into a monetizable asset through premium assurance, smart home subscriptions, and converged cloud services.
The second pillar, AI‑Native Operations, reimagines how organizations work. Instead of relying on manual tools and rule‑based systems, AI‑native operations introduce digital agents, predictive analytics, and automated troubleshooting. This shift delivers measurable impact: a 20 percent reduction in mean time to repair, a 1.6 percent reduction in churn, and a 20 percent drop in customer complaints. Operations move from reactive to predictive, powered by spatial‑temporal analytics that anticipate traffic patterns and optimize performance in real time.
The third pillar, AI‑Driven Infrastructure, establishes the foundation for intelligent growth. Connectivity becomes programmable and experience‑centric, with 5G‑A delivering up to 10 Gbps and deterministic assurance. Computing becomes resilient and heterogeneous, supported by AI‑ready data centres that can handle large‑scale clusters, something 95 percent of today’s data centres cannot do. Edge and mobile AI extend intelligence to the periphery, enabling real‑time inference, high‑uplink applications, and self‑healing networks. Infrastructure becomes a strategic asset, not a cost centre.
Innovation at the Heart of Techco2.0
Several innovations underpin the Techco2.0 framework. The agentic AI platform represents a major leap forward, evolving from basic digitalization to fully agentic cloud‑native infrastructure. Platforms like Huawei ModelArts enable rapid model development, deployment, and lifecycle management, making AI accessible to organizations of all sizes.
Data governance is another cornerstone. By integrating more than 300 data assets across domains, organizations can achieve real‑time decisioning and closed‑loop optimization. Data becomes a strategic asset that fuels intelligent operations and personalized services.
In the consumer domain, intelligent experience is being redefined across both mobile and fixed broadband. On the mobile side, 5G‑A networks deliver unprecedented speeds and deterministic quality, enabling differentiated user experiences. On the fixed side, gigabit home networks powered by FTTR bring intelligence into every room, supported by smart home agents and converged cloud services.
Industry‑specific ecosystems are also emerging, from NPU‑as‑a‑Service to Model‑as‑a‑Service platforms that democratize AI for small and medium enterprises. These ecosystems make AI accessible, affordable, and actionable.
Overcoming the Barriers to Intelligent Growth
Despite the momentum, significant challenges remain. Legacy systems pose one of the biggest obstacles. Most data centres were not designed for AI workloads and lack the density, efficiency, and flexibility required for large‑scale clusters. The solution lies in AI‑native data centre design, open operating systems, and heterogeneous compute architectures.
Data monetization is another challenge. Many organizations still treat data as a compliance burden rather than a strategic asset. Real‑time marketing, precision targeting, and internal data activation are essential to unlocking value.
Operational transformation is equally critical. Manual tools and rule‑based systems cannot scale in the AI era. The future belongs to hybrid teams of domain experts and digital agents, supported by automated workflows and knowledge‑driven operations.
A Strategic Vision for the Operator of 2026
Techco2.0 aligns with a broader global shift identified by leading industry analysts such as BCG: operators must evolve from connectivity providers to data‑driven digital service providers. This transformation requires open ecosystems, scalable infrastructure, and a commitment to continuous innovation. With 95 percent of modern applications dependent on open‑source software, collaboration becomes a strategic imperative.
Future‑proofing requires investment in agentic operations, domain‑specific models, and cross‑domain integration. The organizations that succeed will be those that build intelligently, operate natively, and innovate continuously.
The Blueprint for the AI Future
Techco2.0 is more than a framework. It is a strategic agenda for the AI era, one that integrates technology, operations, and business into a unified model for intelligent growth. It offers a path for organizations to move beyond digital adoption and become AI‑native leaders.
The future belongs to those who embrace intelligence not as a tool, but as a foundation. Techco2.0 is the blueprint for that future.
