Senza Fili Sparring Partners

SenzaFili
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Opinionated conversations in telecoms with Monica Paolini, Senza Fili, and her guests. Networks should be open, and so should our discussions on them.

  1. 3d ago

    Scalable AI and token reduction with data curation. With Rick Fulwiler, NETSCOUT

    AI promises higher efficiency, more automation and greater user experience. Yet it may also fail to scale or to deliver, or require more resources than it saves. How to get the good sides of AI and protect network operations from its challenges? In this Sparring Partners, I talked with Rick Fulwiler, Senior Director Product Management at NETSCOUT, about how to make AI efficient through token reduction and how this is done primarily by curating the data to make sure the AI models and agents don’t get sidetracked or tempted to hallucinate. Data curation is not just about selecting accurate data. It is about figuring out which data sources, and at what granularity, are relevant to the user's intent. In a way, this is an art steeped in human expertise, but it has to recognize that the data is used by AI rather than humans. These are some of the highlights of our conversation: Why AI struggles with traditional network KPIs Packet data versus alarms and dashboards Data curation reduces cost and improves accuracy AI agents need governance and transparency More from NETSCOUT   More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com Sign up for the mailing list at https://senzafili.com/senza-fili-mailing-list/ to receive invitations to Sparring Partners events and updates on what we do.

    45 min

  2. Jun 5

    Resiliency, quantum security, and sovereign clouds: A holistic approach to network de-risking. With Caroline Chappell at CC Squared

    AI and quantum can strengthen network security and resilience, but can also amplify vulnerabilities and expand the scope for security attacks. We need a new approach to cybersecurity in an era of geopolitical tensions, AI and quantum, and increased reliance on telecom networks to protect us. In this Sparring Partners, I spoke with Caroline Chappell, a fellow independent analyst and founder of CC Squared, about how a holistic approach to derisking network infrastructure can improve security and resilience and create new services and revenue streams for operators. Resiliency coming to the forefront Security and resiliency as a unified strategy that works across network elements and services Sovereign cloud and infrastructure tradeoffs Premium resiliency and security as revenue-generating enterprise services More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com Sign up for the mailing list at https://senzafili.com/senza-fili-mailing-list/ to receive invitations to Sparring Partners events and updates on what we do.

    37 min

  3. May 31

    CALEA and lawful intercept: A disappearing act? With Nick Johnson, Independent Telecom Consultant

    In Sparring Partners, I try to track down hot topics. This episode does the opposite by exploring an issue that has quietly faded from industry awareness: CALEA and lawfulintercept. Nick Johnson, an independent telecom consultant and friend since his days at ip.access, and I discuss how attention has shifted toward encryption and privacy, perhaps too much so. What is happening with wiretaps now that most traffic bypasses traditional carriers and goes through end-to-end encrypted apps? Does law enforcement have sufficient access to track down and prevent criminal activity? Is data extraction from end-user devices replacing traditional network-based intercepts? Will AI and quantum change how lawful intercept works and its effectiveness?   If you want to know how the US government uses CALEA, check out the US Courts 2024 Wiretap Report. Note: Nick mentioned the Mavenir acquisition of ip.access as happening in 2000, but he meant 2020.   More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com

    33 min

  4. May 24

    [Bonus Episode] AIOps builds scalable, AI-driven network operations today. With VIAVI, Claro, Iquall

    [This is a bonus episode sponsored by VIAVI Solutions] As telco networks grow more complex, CSPs are under increasing pressure to turn AI from experimentation into measurable business value. AIOps has emerged as a critical foundation for autonomous networks, enabling operators to improve customer experience, reduce operational risk, and scale automation safely.  In this executive webinar, moderated by Monica Paolini, Senza Fili, Claro Colombia shares how it has operationalized AIOps with VIAVI and Iquall to align network operations with real customer impact across live environments. The speakers share their market perspective on why AIOps is a strategic priority for telcos and present a production deployment showing how AI-driven, closed-loop operations deliver tangible customer experience and efficiency gains today.  Questions addressed: Why is AIOps becoming the foundation for autonomous networks?  How did Claro Colombia turned AI into safe, deterministic, and cost-efficient operations? How can we use network events to drive measurable customer and business impact, moving from reactive service operations center (SOC) models to AI-driven, closed-loop operations? How can CSPs pragmatically scale AI operations without operational risk? What lessons did Claro Colombia learn from a live AIOps deployment as they moved from reactive operations to scalable, AI-enabled autonomy?   Speakers: Fabian Aranda, AIOps Solution Architect at VIAVI Solutions Carolina Garcés Zapata, Service Operations Center Manager at Claro Colombia German Perez Trozzi, VP of Products & Marketing at Iquall Networks Monica Paolini, Principal, Senza Fili   The transcript is available here More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com Sign up for the mailing list at https://senzafili.com/senza-fili-mailing-list/ to receive invitations to Sparring Partners events and updates on what we do.

    1 hr

  5. May 14

    AI gets physical: The connectivity, latency, and physics of embodied intelligence. With Yue Wang at China Telecom

    I have devoted many Sparring Partners episodes to the AI models that live in data centers. In this one, Yue Wang, Chief Technologist at China Telecom, and I venture into the world of embodied intelligence and the shift it will create in our network infrastructure. Drawing on Yue’s technical insights into physical AI, we explored how the need for high-capacity, low-latency, high-reliability, deterministic connectivity will shape the networks of the future, specifically with edge computing and network slicing in industrial environments. We cannot afford to wait until 6G to meet the network and business requirements of physical AI. If 2026 is the year of agentic AI, 2027 is likely to be the year AI gets physical. More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com Sign up for the mailing list at https://senzafili.com/senza-fili-mailing-list/ to receive invitations to Sparring Partners events and updates on what we do.

    24 min

  6. May 2

    AI listens to plants to improve crop production and sustainability. With Nigel Wallbridge at Vivent Biosignals

    Most Sparring Partners are about using AI to improve the network infrastructure. This one is about how networks enable new AI-driven applications that need connectivity to work. I talked with Nigel Wallbridge, Director and Founder at Vivent Biosignals, on how biosensors on plants allow AI models to listen to plants to predict disease and stress, and help farmers to increase crop production and sustainability. It is a valuable application for farmers, but they need reliable connectivity to use it. This is an example of how AI is changing network requirements and may create new revenue sources for network operators. More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com Sign up for the mailing list at https://senzafili.com/senza-fili-mailing-list/ to receive invitations to Sparring Partners events and updates on what we do.

    46 min

  7. Apr 26

    Italy leading the way in digital ID with SPID. With Dario Betti at MEF

    Being Italian, I thought I should have one of the country-focused podcasts on Italy. But what is something that sets Italy apart? Having spent more time there recently, I quickly came up with the answer: SPID (Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale), the Digital ID platform that not only works well and supports many services, but that also most Italians use. Other European countries have digital ID systems too, but except for Estonia, they are somewhat lagging behind. The US and UK don’t have anything quite like this. I got another Italian, more knowledgeable than me on the topic and a previous guest on Sparring Partners, Dario Betti at MEF, to unpack SPID for the non-Italians out there. We talked about how SPID picked up speed, how it is evolving, what you can do with it, and compared SPID to digital ID systems in other countries. And we took the chance to boast a bit about our country, which does not happen too often. Unfortunately, we had a few recording glitches, so there are a few brief silences while Dario speaks, but they do not disrupt the flow of the conversation. Sorry!   More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com Sign up for the mailing list at https://senzafili.com/senza-fili-mailing-list/ to receive invitations to Sparring Partners events and updates on what we do.

    42 min

  8. Apr 17

    Collaboration drives innovation. With Dimitra Simeonidou, University of Bristol

    Money alone does not drive innovation. You need people with passion, creativity, and talent to work together. You need collaboration. And to foster it. In this Sparring Partners, I talked with Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of the Smart Internet Lab at the University of Bristol, and Chief Scientific Advisor at the European Commission, about her work, most recently with JOINER (Joint Open Infrastructure for Network Research), a UK initiative linking universities and industry to test networks, collaborate and innovate. Dimitra is not your usual academic, narrowly focused on a narrow research domain and on writing grant requests and papers (I know to recognize them, because I was one of them). She has been working with industry and public agencies throughout her career, and has the determination to pull everybody together to encourage innovation and, more specifically, to strengthen the connection between research institutions and industry.   More on Senza Fili at https://senzafili.com Sign up for the mailing list at https://senzafili.com/senza-fili-mailing-list/ to receive invitations to Sparring Partners events and updates on what we do.

    38 min
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About

Opinionated conversations in telecoms with Monica Paolini, Senza Fili, and her guests. Networks should be open, and so should our discussions on them.

Information

  • Creator
    SenzaFili
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Senza Fili Sparring Partners

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