As part of the ongoing efforts to explore the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) native in telecommunication networks, the third meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) was inaugurated in New Delhi today.
This ITU event is being organised by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Addressing the inaugural session of the three-day event, Mr. Sanjeev Bidwai, Member (T), DCC, emphasised that AI-Native Networks (AI-NN) represent a fundamental shift in telecom design. He noted the growing role of AI in Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards, enabling intelligent orchestration across domains. Mr. Bidwai highlighted India’s ongoing efforts in this space, including national initiatives like ‘Bharat Gen-India’s first indigenously developed, government-funded, AI-based Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) for Indian languages, as well as other projects led by IITs and CDOT in AI-based network automation and digital twins. He also emphasised the importance of deploying AI in an ethical, inclusive, and secure manner, highlighting the need for explainability, digital sovereignty, and the evolution of regulatory frameworks.
In a video address, Mr. Seizo Onoe, Director of the Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau, ITU, underscored the potential of AI-native networks to deliver next-generation performance through intelligent automation, self-management, and real-time optimisation.
Ms. Atsuo Okuda, ITU Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, highlighted the region’s pivotal role as a digital innovation hub, emphasising that AI-native networks are essential to building smart, secure, and responsive communication systems. She drew attention to the need for collaborative frameworks to bridge the digital divide and power emerging use cases in smart cities, healthcare, and education.
During the event, India sought support of ITU members for its bid to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030 (PP-30), continued membership in the forthcoming ITU Council (2027-2031) and for Indian Nominee, Ms. M. Revathi, as the first woman and first Regional candidate for Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (2027–30).
The event witnessed participation of Mr. Niraj Verma, Administrator (DBN), Mr. Rudra Narayan Palai, Member (Designate), DoT, Mr. Deb Kumar Chakrabarty, Member (Designate), DoT, Mr. Shubhendu Tiwari, Advisor (Technology), Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT, Ms. Tripti Saxena, Senior DDG, TEC and other senior officers of DoT, academicians, technologists, and industry representatives from India and abroad.
This event marks a significant milestone in shaping the future of AI-native telecommunication networks, with the potential to revolutionise the global communications landscape. As AI continues to evolve, the work done by the Focus Group will be instrumental in laying the groundwork for more intelligent, adaptive, and efficient networks.
About Focus Group AI-Native Networks
Established by ITU-T Study Group 13 in July 2024, the Focus Group on AI-Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) aims to explore and define the fundamental changes needed in network architecture to fully harness the potential of AI. The group’s goal is to understand the necessary changes in design to fully leverage AI technologies, with an emphasis on the unique challenges and opportunities AI-native networks bring to global communications.
The Focus Group is working to redefine telecom networks by embedding Artificial Intelligence at their core. This shift will lead to self-optimising, resilient networks capable of delivering seamless connectivity, fewer call drops, faster mobile data, and real-time adaptability, benefiting users in cities and remote regions alike.
By exploring next-generation applications like smart public services, connected transport, and disaster-aware communication systems, the group is laying the foundation for networks that are not only technically advanced but deeply responsive to public needs.
The sessions at the FG-AINN Meeting & Build-a-Thon (June 11–13, 2025) will cover a wide range of cutting-edge topics focused on the application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in future communication networks. Key themes include federated learning for telecom, AI/ML models for next-gen wireless systems, AI in 6G use cases, autonomous AI agents, and facial recognition-based SIM verification. In addition to expert talks, the event features technical review sessions, interactive discussions, and collaborative Build-a-Thon activities aimed at developing practical AI-driven solutions. The expected outcome is to strengthen international cooperation, advance AI-native network research, and shape future standards in intelligent telecom systems.
The FG-AINN Build-a-thon 2025, a crowdsourced coding event, is set for June 13, 2025. This initiative will bring together experts from academia, industry, and startups to co-create practical demonstrations of AI-native concepts through interactive mentoring and collaborative sessions.
