Bits, Bytes & Beyond

PCCW Global | Console Connect

Bits, Bytes & Beyond, hosted by Trent Blakely, Head of Product Marketing at PCCW Global, is a podcast that goes beyond the buzzwords and dives deep into the real-world challenges of how data moves – and what may happen when things go wrong. Each episode features candid conversations with industry experts, breaking down technical use cases and unpacking the strategies that actually work.

Épisodes

  1. WAN way or another | Ep. 7

    -1 J

    WAN way or another | Ep. 7

    The WAN is at a crossroads. As AI, open standards and automation converge, the WAN is no longer just about moving packets. In episode 7 of Bits, Bytes & Beyond, Trent Blakely sits down with Pascal Menezes, CTO at Mplify, and Divesh Gupta, VP of Professional Services and Technology at PCCW Global, to unpack why the WAN is critical as enterprises and service providers race to support AI workloads, inference at the edge and globally distributed ecosystems. Episode chapters: (00:00) Start (01:12) Intro (03:04) With AI, open standards and automation converging, what shifts are you seeing in the industry? And what opportunities do these shifts create? (10:30) AI Inflection Point – AI-Agents, MCP servers, product payloads and LSO API Adaptors. How are these technologies enabling AI ­ready infrastructure and AI-ready WANs? (17:23) Where do gaps still exist? And how is this being addressed? (26:30) How are alliances like Mplify, Camara, GSMA accelerating standard-based API adoption, drawing parallels with other industries? (33:44) Where are service providers and enterprises most underestimating the operational or organisational challenges of building “AI-ready” WANs? How can leaders overcome these hurdles? Additional resources: 🔗 GNE 2025 | Monetizing NaaS: New Revenue Strategies for Service Providers 🔗 Mplify - Executives at the Edge - Plug-and-Play Network Integration: Adapting to Open Connectivity Learn more about: 🌐 Console Connect 🌐 Mplify 📣 Be the first to hear new episodes via our newsletter ⁠⁠here.

    40 min
  2. The last mile is always the hardest | Ep.5

    21/10/2025

    The last mile is always the hardest | Ep.5

    Last mile connectivity has always been the most challenging, and as bandwidth demands grow and applications move closer to users, it isn’t getting any easier. In episode 5 of Bits, Bytes & Beyond, host Trent Blakely sits down with Shaheen Kalla, Presales Team Lead at PCCW Global, to unpack why the last mile remains such a complex piece of the puzzle, how it’s changed and where it’s headed.  Episode chapters: (00:00) Start (01:07) Intro (03:08) What's the single biggest unsolved problem in last mile connectivity that you faced? (12:36) When designing resilience into the last mile, what trade-offs or creative solutions have actually worked, and which have failed?  (19:52) How has the shift to cloud and SaaS changed the way you approach last‑mile connectivity compared to the old data‑centre model?  (23:53) How else have you seen the last mile change over the last 5 to 10 years? (26:09) Do you see technologies like 5G or Leo satellites as realistic last mile replacements in enterprise environments or only as niche backups?  (31:33) If you had a blank slate, how would you reimagine the last mile for today’s distributed workforce and hybrid cloud world? (37:34) Final thoughts Follow Bits, Bytes & Beyond, and us! 📣 Be the first to hear new episodes via our newsletter by subscribing ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠PCCW Global LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Console Connect LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about what we do! 🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠PCCW Global⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Console Connect

    39 min
  3. Peering into the future | Ep.4

    22/09/2025

    Peering into the future | Ep.4

    Peering has long been the foundation of how networks exchange traffic, yet its role is rapidly evolving. Episode 4 of Bits, Bytes & Beyond features Trent Blakely in conversation with Richard Petrie, Chief Technology Officer at LINX, on the future of peering. From data sovereignty and automation to the edge and AI, they explore how peering is transforming to keep pace with shifting demands, breakthrough technologies, and new business models. Episode chapters: (00:00) Start (01:15) Intro (02:57) How has the role of peering evolved over the last 10 years? (06:07) What are the differences between public, private and remote peering? (11:21) What are the use cases for data sovereignty and keeping traffic local? (13:18) Is traditional peering still valuable in a world where CDNs, hyperscalers, and cloud interconnects dominate traffic? (17:57) What is the role of automation and software-defined networking in modern peering strategies? (24:30) How can engineers measure the effectiveness and ROI of peering? (28:59) What do you see on the horizon for peering? (34:53) How are paid peering, hybrid peering, and peering-as-a-service changing the landscape? (40:57) Final thoughts? Follow Bits, Bytes & Beyond, and us! 📣 Be the first to hear new episodes via our newsletter by subscribing ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. 💬 ⁠⁠⁠PCCW Global LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ 💬 ⁠⁠⁠Console Connect LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about what we do! 🌐 ⁠⁠⁠PCCW Global⁠⁠⁠ 🌐 ⁠⁠⁠Console Connect

    43 min

À propos

Bits, Bytes & Beyond, hosted by Trent Blakely, Head of Product Marketing at PCCW Global, is a podcast that goes beyond the buzzwords and dives deep into the real-world challenges of how data moves – and what may happen when things go wrong. Each episode features candid conversations with industry experts, breaking down technical use cases and unpacking the strategies that actually work.