Huawei Unveils New Autonomous Network Solution at MWC
At MWC Barcelona, Huawei's Cloud Core Network division unveiled its updated ICNMaster solution. The new platform is designed to bring autonomous operation and maintenance capabilities to telecom core networks, aiming to simplify management for operators.
The move toward autonomous networks is a strategic shift for telecom operators, aiming to manage growing network complexity and reduce operational costs. Huawei's approach focuses on "single-domain autonomy with cross-domain collaboration," where different network segments like the core, radio access, or transport networks are automated individually before being orchestrated together. This updated ICNMaster platform is a step towards achieving Level 4 autonomy, as defined by the industry group TM Forum. Level 4 networks can automatically detect, predict, and resolve issues with self-healing and self-optimization capabilities, a significant leap from earlier, more manual operational models. In a deployment with China Mobile Zhejiang, Huawei's ICNMaster solution demonstrated significant efficiency gains. The system reduced the average handling time for core network alarm tickets from 90 minutes to just 12 minutes—an 87% improvement—by using intelligent agents to automate diagnostics. For customer complaints, the platform automated classification, analysis, and ticket filling, cutting the average end-to-end processing time from 14.6 hours down to 5.2 hours. This was likened to adding over 30 experienced digital employees to the team, tackling the challenge of scaling network management without increasing staff. The solution leverages a "telecom foundation model" and a digital twin of the network. This allows for online simulation and evaluation to proactively detect risks, such as signaling storms, before they impact service, shifting from reactive problem-solving to proactive prevention. Huawei is not alone in this race; key competitors in the autonomous network space include Ericsson, Nokia, Cisco, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, all developing solutions to automate network operations for telecom clients. The ultimate industry goal is to reach Level 5 autonomy—fully autonomous, "zero-touch" networks that can manage themselves entirely without human intervention. Huawei's current core network automation solution is already commercially deployed in 14 operator networks worldwide as the industry progresses toward this objective.
