scte PRESENTS
AI to support field operations, such as validating installations through image recognition and improving “right first time” performance. This was seen as particularly important in the context of skills shortages. By acting as a real-time guide for engineers, AI could help bridge experience gaps and reduce reliance on highly specialised personnel. Innovation in fibre technology itself also featured prominently, with discussion around hollow core fibre as a potential enabler of next-generation networks. While still at an early stage, the technology is attracting interest for high-performance applications such as AI-driven data centre interconnects.
The conversation also covered challenges within the workplace. As networks become more complex, the skills required to build and operate them are rapidly evolving. Training and reskilling were identified as critical priorities, particularly in areas such as high-speed fibre deployment and advanced testing. At the same time, concerns were raised about the potential impact of AI on entry-level roles, which traditionally provide pathways into the industry. Despite the challenges, the panel was cautiously optimistic. The industry is not only aware of the issues it faces, but actively working to address them through innovation, collaboration and new ways of thinking. Allwright noted that expectations across the sector are being redefined. The technologies discussed are no longer optional or experimental, but central to how networks will operate in the coming years.
philosophy on how to guide the light through the hollow core.”
Security and system integration formed another key pillar of the discussion. As networks become more software-driven and interconnected, the number of potential vulnerabilities is increasing.
Ricardo Balla of ASSA ABLOY highlighted the growing
fragmentation across systems, noting that operators are often managing multiple disconnected platforms. “We are now actually drowning in innovation,” he said. “But it has also left us more fragmented than ever before.” The shift towards integrated solutions was seen as essential, but not without risk. Greater interconnection can increase the potential impact of failures or cyber attacks, requiring more robust planning and layered security approaches. Panellists pointed to the need for stronger collaboration between vendors, operators and regulators, as well as continuous testing and adaptation. While AI introduces new threats, it also offers new defensive capabilities, particularly in areas such as automated security testing. There was also recognition that regulation is struggling to keep pace with the speed of technological change. As one speaker noted, even well-intentioned frameworks risk becoming outdated quickly in such a fast-moving environment.
“There’s now a desire and appetite to look at hollow core fibre technology to address many of the challenges that we’ve got in connecting
AI data centre spaces,”
explained VIAVI’s Jason Holroyd.
As Cottingham put it: “the future is actually coming far faster than you think”.
However, adoption is not without challenges. The panel noted issues around cost, standardisation and deployment complexity, with Holroyd acknowledging that the ecosystem is still evolving. “There isn’t a standard for hollow core at the moment. And conversations with my colleagues will clearly state that the construction that we show is not the same for everybody. From manufacturer to manufacturer, there are different aspects and a different
Volume 48 No.2 MAY 2026
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