Telecom operators are increasingly adopting open AI models for greater customization, privacy, and cost efficiency, reflecting a significant shift in the industry.
Telecom operators are increasingly building their artificial intelligence (AI) strategies on open models to enhance trust, control, and customization across critical workloads, including autonomous networks and customer care. This marks a strategic shift from relying solely on proprietary AI solutions.
According to NVIDIA’s State of AI in Telecommunications report, released on October 6, 2026, 89% of surveyed telecom companies acknowledged the importance of open-source models and software in their AI strategies. These models allow operators to fine-tune AI for domain-specific tasks using proprietary network and customer data, while also addressing privacy and compliance concerns. The report highlights that open models are not just cost-effective but also offer greater operational flexibility.
Key industry players like SoftBank Corp. and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison are leveraging open AI frameworks to develop telecom-specific models. SoftBank’s Large Telecom Model, for instance, builds on NVIDIA’s Nemotron framework to advance network operations and management. Similarly, Indosat’s Sahabat-AI family adapts AI to local languages and cultural contexts in Indonesia, demonstrating the role of open models in enabling localized innovation.
In addition to customization, open models provide operators with operational control and governance. For example, AT&T has emphasized the importance of aligning AI workflows with business priorities. Andy Markus, the company’s chief data and AI officer, stated that "open models are essential" for implementing a flexible and governed approach to AI. 0 model, built using 400 billion telecom-specific tokens, exemplifies how open frameworks can be tailored for industry-specific tasks.
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