How MEO is bringing AI-native network ambition to operational reality

As artificial intelligence reshapes telecom networks and operations, MEO and Nokia are building a structured path from experimentation to practical, scalable impact. Their collaboration is designed to embed AI and automation more deeply into how networks are designed, operated, monitored and optimized.

A framework for co-innovation

MEO and Nokia have established a strategic framework to jointly explore, validate and industrialize AI-driven network capabilities. The program brings together MEO’s operational knowledge, network environments and growing AI expertise with Nokia’s networking technology, automation and AI capabilities.

The scope spans fixed, mobile, transport, core, cloud and service domains. Rather than treating AI as an add-on, the collaboration explores how intelligence can become a native capability across the network and its operational model.

The framework is intended to guide future initiatives. Individual projects, proofs of concept and commercial implementations will be defined separately, with agreed scope, responsibilities and terms.

Communication service providers manage increasingly complex networks while striving to deliver reliable services and high-quality customer experiences.

As AI technologies continue to evolve, operators are looking for practical ways to understand where these capabilities can have the greatest impact. The challenge is not simply adopting new technology, but identifying use cases that can deliver meaningful operational improvements and support long-term network evolution.

Evolving MEO's network into a native AI Grid

The joint programme will explore how MEO's fixed, mobile, transport, core and cloud infrastructure can evolve into an integrated, distributed and AI-native Grid, connecting intelligence from central data centres to the network edge. This evolution will create the foundation to support AI traffic, distributed inferencing and future digital services with the required connectivity, computing capabilities, security, reliability and low latency.

Key areas of collaboration include:

• AI grid architecture: Defining the target architecture and transformation roadmap for an integrated, distributed and AI-native infrastructure.
• Edge and distributed AI: Enabling AI inferencing and latency-sensitive services across regional hubs and edge locations
• Intelligent connectivity: Evolving transport, radio, core and cloud networks into a unified fabric that securely and efficiently connects data, computing resources and AI workloads.
• AI-RAN and AI-native core: Embedding AI across radio, core and cloud domains to optimize network performance, automate operations and accelerate service innovation.
• Autonomous network operations: Applying AI, analytics and closed-loop automation to enhance operational efficiency, resilience, energy performance and customer experience.

The ambition is to transform MEO's network from connectivity infrastructure into an intelligent platform capable of supporting Portugal's emerging AI ecosystem and creating new opportunities for customers and businesses.

A partnership built around real network environments 
The collaboration is grounded in the realities of operating complex communications networks. MEO contributes operational priorities, domain expertise, relevant environments and validation capabilities. Nokia contributes technology roadmaps, reference architectures, automation platforms, analytics, AI expertise and network-domain knowledge. Together, the teams can assess value, validate feasibility and create a path toward industrialization.

The MoU provides the foundation for a jointly governed innovation program. The next phase is to translate the strategic ambition into a prioritized blueprint: selecting use cases, defining measurable business outcomes, assigning accountable owners and agreeing the pathway from validation to scale. This approach keeps the focus on tangible progress while allowing both companies to adapt priorities as technology and market needs evolve.

For MEO and Nokia, the ambition is clear: turn AI-native networking from a strategic vision into a practical operating model. By combining technology leadership with live operational experience, the collaboration can create repeatable approaches that support MEO’s transformation and contribute to the wider evolution of autonomous telecommunications networks.