Huawei says ‘agentic era’ could unlock new value for telecom operators

One theme cropped up again and again at MWC26: telecom operators are under pressure to redefine their role in the AI economy. For Huawei, the answer lies in what it calls the “agentic era” - a world where AI agents increasingly handle digital tasks on behalf of people and businesses.

Speaking during a keynote session titled Telco for AI: The Value Equation, Eric Yang, president of Huawei’s carrier business, argued that operators are uniquely positioned to benefit from this shift - provided they combine their core connectivity assets with AI capabilities.

The communications industry has always evolved alongside major technology waves. According to Yang, the rise of AI agents represents the next major inflection point.

Yang noted the scale of change could be dramatic. AI agents are expected to become significantly more capable at executing complex tasks. At the same time, interactions between physical and digital environments are expected to generate exponentially more data.

For telecom operators, that combination creates both challenges and opportunities.

Yang outlined a three-step approach that he believes can help carriers translate AI momentum into tangible business value.

The first step focuses on strengthening operators’ core business by combining connectivity services with AI-driven experiences.

One example highlighted during the keynote centred on home broadband services. By integrating AI agents into the home network environment, operators can simplify network management for users. Instead of navigating apps or dashboards, customers could simply issue voice commands when problems arise.

In a scenario described by Yang, a user experiencing poor connectivity might simply say that the network is slow. The AI agent could then analyse the issue, run diagnostics, attempt automated troubleshooting, and if necessary schedule an engineer visit - all without requiring the user to navigate complex support processes.

Beyond troubleshooting, such agents could manage device access, apply parental controls, or optimise latency for services like gaming.

Yang pointed to early implementations by Chinese operators, where AI-enabled home services have been layered on top of premium fibre packages such as fibre-to-the-room deployments. In some cases, this combination of higher bandwidth and differentiated service experiences has helped increase average revenue per user.

The second opportunity lies in upgrading traditional consumer services - particularly voice - through AI-driven functionality.

While voice calling remains a core telecom service, Yang suggested that AI agents could significantly enhance the experience. One demonstration during the keynote illustrated how AI can remove background noise during calls, allowing clearer conversations even in challenging environments.

Such calling agents could also support a wide range of everyday tasks, from booking flights and ordering food to real-time translation and customer service interactions.

The idea is to transform voice from a simple communication channel into an intelligent service layer - potentially creating new monetisation opportunities for operators while improving user experience.

The third area of focus involves applying AI within operators’ own internal operations.

According to Yang, many carriers are already experimenting with AI to improve efficiency in areas such as network management, customer service and field operations. One example involves quality inspection of installation and maintenance work. Traditionally, only a small percentage of service visits could be manually reviewed. With AI-based inspection systems, coverage can extend across every interaction.

Once those internal capabilities mature, operators can potentially take the next step by offering AI-enabled services to enterprise customers.

Industries such as manufacturing and healthcare are increasingly exploring AI-driven automation and analytics. Yang suggested telecom operators could play a role in enabling these transformations by combining connectivity, computing infrastructure and AI capabilities.

To help operators navigate this shift, Yang proposed three “deterministic paths” for capturing value.

The first path focuses on mature use cases - such as AI-powered network optimisation or energy efficiency - where benefits can be realised quickly. The second involves deploying AI internally across areas like customer service or sales operations, building capabilities that can later support enterprise offerings. The third path targets high-frequency consumer scenarios, where improved experiences can drive rapid adoption and service differentiation.

Underlying all three strategies is the need for infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale AI applications.

Yang emphasised that Huawei is investing heavily in AI-centric network solutions that enable intelligent services, networks, and network elements (NEs). At the same time, the company is building full-stack computing capabilities spanning intelligent computing infrastructure and model service platforms.

The goal, according to Yang, is to give operators the tools they need to move beyond traditional connectivity and participate more directly in the AI economy.

If the agentic era unfolds as predicted, telecom operators may find themselves managing not just networks for people - but networks for billions of AI-driven digital assistants as well. And that, Yang suggested, could redefine the industry’s role in the years ahead.

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