Deutsche Telekom is expanding AI-driven automation beyond monitoring into operational control
In sum – what to know:
Expansion scope – Deutsche Telekom is deploying AI across customer services and network operations, with broader rollouts planned throughout the year.
Voice integration – Magenta AI embeds voice capabilities like call handling, summarization and translation directly into network infrastructure.
Automation shift – Tools like MINDR move AI from observability to automated network management, supporting the transition toward AI-native architectures.
Voice will be the default AI interface, and it will be on mobile. So says German operator Deutsche Telekom, discussing with RCR at MWC how it is integrating AI across both customer services and network operations, with a focus on practical implementations and near-term deployment.
Arash Ashouriha, senior vice president of technology innovation at Deutsche Telekom, told RCR that the company is prioritizing user experience as it expands AI capabilities. “This year’s MWC is all about AI. Everyone talks about it,” he said, adding that the operator presented “a lot of new practical examples of what it will implemen throughout the year.”
One area of focus is voice-based AI, it said. The company introduced Magenta AI call assistance, designed to answer calls, summarize conversations, and support real-time translation. “We truly believe that the natural interface is going to be voice,” Ashouriha said. He emphasized that the capability is not delivered as an overlay application but embedded directly into telecom infrastructure: “We are not talking about an app or anything on top of the mobile or network. We are talking about deep integration to network.”
On the network side, Deutsche Telekom is expanding AI-driven automation beyond monitoring into operational control. Its RAN Guardian platform is evolving into a broader cross-domain system called MINDR. “It’s not just observability, but it is the first big step… towards autonomous network,” Ashouriha said. He added that the system can detect anomalies and respond in real time.
The company is positioning these developments as part of a broader shift toward AI-native networks. Rather than waiting for future standards, Deutsche Telekom is introducing capabilities incrementally. “Every six to nine months, capabilities will be up,” Ashouriha said, describing a faster innovation cycle compared to traditional network upgrades.
Looking ahead, the operator sees AI as central to the evolution of next-generation networks. Ashouriha said 6G will need to integrate AI capabilities across all domains from the outset. “6G has to be AI-native by design,” he said, pointing to tighter integration across radio, core, and transport networks, alongside improvements in efficiency and sensing capabilities.
Deutsche Telekom set out a broader vision for how AI is being embedded across its network operations, enterprise platforms, and consumer services at MWC. One of the central demonstrations at the event was AI-driven network automation. Deutsche Telekom described a mobile network that adapts autonomously to usage patterns — whether customers are making calls, browsing, gaming, or running industrial applications and robots.
The concept relies on AI agents capable of detecting public events and sudden traffic surges, then implementing optimization measures such as reallocating mobile resources or adjusting network configurations. The company first presented this approach in Barcelona in March 2025. It later introduced the solution in Germany, where it was used during large-scale events and at Christmas markets to manage temporary capacity spikes.
