The Future of Networks: Enabling Digital Transformation and Energy Transition
During the Como Lake 2024 event, our CEO Benedetto Di Salvo highlighted the pivotal role of telecommunications networks in driving digital and energy transformation.
The advent of programmable and 5G networks is ushering in a level of complexity that cannot be managed solely by human effort. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a crucial role in making networks resilient and efficient.
As AI and Edge Computing continue to advance, networks are evolving to ensure greater efficiency, security, and sustainability, optimizing energy resource usage and contributing to a more connected and sustainable future. We are witnessing a new industrial revolution driven by AI and other disruptive technologies, such as the Cloud in all its forms.
At the heart of this revolution lies the Network — a pervasive infrastructure evolving to meet the demands of new applications, ensuring the performance, security, and reliability required, with a strong focus on energy consumption.
The internet, which has become the backbone of our society, has revolutionized the way we live, work, and interact. Since the 1990s, its exponential growth has accelerated with the development of Ultra-Broadband (UBB) networks, the proliferation of smartphones, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
How are networks adapting to support new applications?
Next-generation networks — programmable networks (“software-defined”), ultra-broadband networks, 5G networks, and their evolution toward 6G — will reach such a high level of complexity that they can no longer be controlled solely by humans. Their creation, operation, and maintenance will require a high degree of automation and optimization, inherently embedded within these systems.
Artificial Intelligence will play a fundamental role. This is evident from numerous initiatives by TELCO companies worldwide and leading vendors who have long been working on AI-powered networks.
AI and big data analytics are enabling a disruptive shift away from “pre-programmed” systems toward solutions capable of learning, adapting, and dynamically modifying their operational rules (“self-learn,” “self-evolve”). AI contributes to network resilience in areas such as cybersecurity and predictive maintenance.
With the rise of IoT and applications requiring low latency, such as autonomous driving, Edge Computing is gaining momentum. This technology processes large amounts of data near the source, reducing the need to transfer it to the Cloud. The benefits include reduced bandwidth usage, enhanced network reliability, and improved security.
Networks at the core of the energy transition
Telecommunications networks are also central to the energy transition. Thanks to intelligent sensors and advanced AI algorithms, digital networks enable the operation of “smart grids” — next-generation power grids like the cutting-edge system designed by e-Distribuzione. These grids support the generation, integration, and distribution of renewable energy sources, which, with the exception of hydropower, are inherently unpredictable.
In May 2024, renewable energy sources in Italy reached a record, covering 52.5% of the country's energy needs. Through the synergy of electric and next-generation telecom networks, starting in 2023, Enel globally connected approximately 2 million producers and prosumers to its networks. These producers contribute to a total renewable capacity of over 68 GW.
In conclusion
The future of ICT promises even greater innovation, coupled with increasing technological complexity. At Italtel, for over a century, we have been enabling the advantages of technologies and supporting digital transformation. This is our mission to drive the development of the country.