Rakuten targets Level 5 autonomy through AI-driven network operations

Sachin Verma, Chief AI & Data Officer at Rakuten Mobile, tells TM Forum’s Mark Newman how the operator is accelerating its journey toward Level 5 autonomous networks, using AI, automation and data-driven operations to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance customer experience. The operator has already achieved Level 4 autonomy in RAN energy optimization and deployed closed-loop automation to detect and resolve network issues without human intervention. To increase trust and reliability, Rakuten is developing deterministic AI models trained on its own network and operational data rather than relying solely on general-purpose models. The company also emphasizes robust AI governance, privacy controls and evidence-based assurance as foundations for scaling autonomous operations.