From Telco to Techco: Revisiting Isenberg’s Stupid Network

As the Telco-to-Techco evolution grows, how does today’s telecoms ecosystem compare to previous visions of telecoms today? Nearly 30 years ago, David Isenberg of AT&T published The Dawn of the “Stupid Network”. It was a provocative piece, but how accurate was Isenberg’s vision of the future?

In his article, Isenberg argues that telecommunications networks should become simpler, more flexible communications infrastructure. Subsequently, he suggests intelligence and innovation should move to the network edge.

Was Isenberg right?

In many respects, Isenberg’s concept was accurate. So, did he predict the emergence of Techcos? Yes, sort of.

What did he get right in The Dawn of the Stupid Network?

David Isenberg telecom prediction vs reality table

Arguably, 5G is the closest we’ve come to creating Isenberg’s so-called Stupid Network. Unfortunately, operators have had to introduce 5G alongside existing network generations rather than replacing them overnight.

Isenberg was right when he described telecommunications as needing to become “…a flexible communications infrastructure.” However, intelligence developing at the network edge has done little to simplify networks.

The Telco-to-Techco challenge

The challenges of multi-generation network configurations are considerable. Running technologies and protocols such as SS7, Diameter, SIP and GTP with 4G and 5G service-based interfaces isn’t simple.

Isenberg’s vision came true in a lot of places, but in other places it falls short, such as:

The concept of telecom network entropy. With each generation, new technologies and protocols have complicated network configurations.
While intelligence has manifested at the network edge, the Intelligent Network has turned into a learning, evolving tech platform: the Techco.
Congestion is an ongoing problem that matters.
Humans aren’t the only source of knowledge and expertise driving new value propositions; AI now plays a role.
Innovation diverging from the telecommunications operators to infrastructure and network function users created interoperability issues, hampering network efficiency.

The learning is that intelligence at the edge doesn’t make a simpler network; it complicates it. Interoperability has become critical for operators. As such, the telco-to-techco winners will be those who can efficiently leverage their network flexibility.

Efficiency before experimentation

Operators are heavily focused on leveraging AI, but what does it tell us about their strategic priorities? Mobile World Live reports that 85% of network operations respondents identified OPEX savings as their leading objective for AI investment.

It makes sense to focus on optimising current infrastructure before introducing new revenue-generating technologies. Operators already understand the infrastructure they run. Getting the most out of that infrastructure and preparing it for new integrations is smart.

This is where interoperability becomes critical.

Routing, security, charging and service policies need to remain consistent across different technologies. New capability rollouts need to avoid massive bespoke integration costs. Customer migrations need to be seamless to retain revenue.

Simple, Controlled, Flexible

Isenberg’s original insight remains relevant. However, networks are no longer the bottleneck to innovation they were thirty years ago.

The reality is that successive network generations are increasing operational complexity rather than reducing it. So, the solution is not to eliminate complexity, but to control it.

Interworking Functions (IWFs) and Session Border Controllers (SBCs) have become critical in creating control. By enabling security policies, routing, charging and services to operate consistently across multiple network generations, they help operators accelerate the transition from Telco to Techco.

So, the operators best positioned for that transition will not necessarily be those with the newest networks. They will be those that can most effectively use interoperability to reduce complexity, improve operational efficiency and create a more adaptable foundation for future innovation.

To find out more about Squire Technologies’ Core Network Optimisation solutions, please visit www.squire-technologies.co.uk