The shift toward intelligence-driven automation is reshaping telecom networks. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning will play central roles in making networks smarter, and telecom operators are moving toward a “zero touch” model as part of their 5G transformation.
However, automating deployment and operations across widely distributed telecom infrastructures remains a major challenge. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) are key enablers for this transition, and recent advances in both technologies are helping operators realize their 5G goals.
The need for automation
NFV and SDN replace dedicated hardware functions with software, enabling centralized control and management of both virtual and physical network elements. 5G accelerates the adoption of SDN and NFV by demanding higher bandwidth and lower latency while encouraging operators to reduce hardware costs. Yet telecom networks span vast geographic areas, making manual installation and configuration impractical and slow.
Operational challenges include onboarding, deploying, scaling, patching and updating virtual network functions (VNFs), which are often chained together to form end-to-end services. Manual configuration of VNF integration and adjustments to NFV infrastructure delays service launches. As operators deploy growing numbers of VNFs, the complexity of chaining and maintaining those functions increases, further emphasizing the need for automation.
By enabling highly programmable networks and automated workflows, SDN and NFV allow service providers to address complexity in NFV infrastructure (NFVi), reduce operational costs, and accelerate service delivery.
Cloud-native approach and DevOps enablement
To achieve broad automation within NFV-enabled 5G networks, operators and vendors are adopting cloud-native architectures. As networking functions become software-centric, operators can apply cloud-based automation for infrastructure provisioning, operations and VNF lifecycle management. The cloud thus becomes a primary driver for automation.
VNFs behave like cloud applications: they can be decomposed into microservices, packaged in containers and orchestrated dynamically within NFVi. Container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes enable automated lifecycle management, scaling and real-time updates for containerized VNFs.
Higher-level automation is supported by DevOps practices that integrate software development and operations. In a DevOps model, VNFs are developed and packaged independently of the service provider’s NFVi and then integrated, configured and deployed into the operator environment. To maintain stability, service providers and vendors must align operational requirements and establish continuous integration and delivery pipelines that bring updated VNFs into production without disrupting NFVi operations.
The role of ONAP (Open Network Automation Platform)
ONAP is an open-source initiative hosted by the Linux Foundation that consolidates earlier projects contributed by major operators. Its goal is to standardize NFV management and orchestration (MANO) and to provide policy-driven automation for VNF deployment and lifecycle management. By offering a common framework for orchestration and automation, ONAP helps operators coordinate complex service and VNF workflows across virtualized infrastructure.
Conclusion
Many operators are already running 5G trials in selected areas, and widespread commercial 5G rollouts are expected over the coming years. NFV continues to mature, and broader adoption depends on stronger standards, consistent procedures, common information models and a richer set of documented use cases to support a fully cloud-native operating model. 5G will also leverage Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) to deliver location-specific services with very low latency and high throughput.
To fully realize 5G’s potential, operators will need automated control across the network stack. Cloud-native NFV deployments and robust automation tools will be essential to achieving a “zero touch” operational model that supports rapid service innovation and reliable, scalable network management.