It’s Time for a U.S. Network Infrastructure Makeover

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 helped modernize the industry for the internet age, yet three decades later, networks haven’t had another major modernization initiative. Because of this, our networks are becoming increasingly outdated. Most still rely on traditional, monolithic systems, where operators are tied to software and hardware from a particular vendor. The result? Costly, inefficient, clunky networks.

The new FCC has a critical opportunity to update the regulatory landscape and ensure new infrastructure is being built in a more secure, cost-effective, reliable, and in an AI-ready way that supports the demands of today’s digital landscape.

The disaggregated path forward

Network disaggregation, or the process of separating hardware and software, is the best approach to building more future-ready U.S. networks. It allows operators the flexibility to mix and match components from different vendors rather than relying on a single vendor for the entire system. As a result, operators can adopt cutting-edge technologies that bring greater power and space efficiency at a lower cost.

Let’s dive into how this can also help operators build more AI-ready and secure environments.

Benefits for AI efficiency

Running large telecommunications networks has always been a complex and costly undertaking. For this reason, operators have been turning to AI to help control costs and improve quality for end-users.

The first main area is in network planning, since it’s difficult to manually identify new trends and deviations from complex patterns. AI can add a higher level of responsiveness and draw more correlations between factors, such as triggering capacity upgrades in certain locations. On the other hand, AI helps with network optimization by providing real-time data on a highly granular level, enabling operators to predict user behavior and optimize their networks accordingly. AI can also accelerate fault resolutions by detecting and predicting faults that are not yet apparent to the human eye, while also identifying complex root-causes.

Although AI has immense potential to revolutionize telco operations with these vital tasks, it can only ever be as good as its input data. Older networks are hindering AI’s ability by only pulling small amounts of data at a time.

Fortunately, disaggregation can provide the easiest, largest and fastest source of data extraction for AI systems to consume. Modern disaggregated network operating systems can amplify the amount of data pulled and supply more information to AI than has ever been possible. This leads to faster, larger and more efficient data extraction capabilities, enabling more accurate insights for better planning and network optimization.

Securing networks against external threats

Networks built on outdated, insecure systems pose a national security threat, as we saw with the telecommunications firms hacked in a wave of breaches by a state-backed threat group in 2024. Through the breaches, hackers gained access to individuals’ voicemails, phone calls and text messages, as well as wiretap information from investigations by U.S. law enforcement.

Regulatory initiatives like the ‘rip-and-replace’ program, officially called the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, are mandating the removal of certain hardware in networks. Just in December, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes more than $3 billion in funding of the program. Under pressure to replace their infrastructure, operators have the opportunity to rebuild using more modern, secure alternatives without high costs attached.

By enabling independent software control, disaggregation opens the door to implementing other low-cost hardware from trustworthy democracies, like Taiwanese switches that can be used as an Internet gateway, 5G core router, or security management hub. The function of these switches can also be easily changed without requiring replacement, allowing operators to adapt to evolving security landscapes. With the government’s push for more secure infrastructure to prevent further vulnerabilities, disaggregation can help to make this a cost-effective transition.

Looking ahead

By updating regulatory frameworks to embrace cutting-edge approaches, the U.S. can foster a more secure, cost-effective, efficient and scalable network system that will drive innovation and help operators remain competitive. The answer lies in disaggregation. An industry shift towards this approach will allow for more dynamic networks that can be tailored to operators’ specific needs at low costs.

Now is the time for the government and operators to embrace change and modernization before legacy systems hinder further progress. With the new Trump administration in full swing, newly appointed FCC Chair, Brendan Carr, has a one-off opportunity to update the regulatory landscape, modernize networks to account for AI and combat security threats with new infrastructure initiatives.

The views expressed in this article belong solely to the author and do not represent The Fast Mode. While information provided in this post is obtained from sources believed by The Fast Mode to be reliable, The Fast Mode is not liable for any losses or damages arising from any information limitations, changes, inaccuracies, misrepresentations, omissions or errors contained therein. The heading is for ease of reference and shall not be deemed to influence the information presented.