Hot tech takes from MWC 2026

Welcome to our series of podcasts recorded live at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026

Recorded at the heart of MWC Barcelona 2026, this podcast series brings together the voices shaping the Telecom industry’s landscape. Hosted by Capgemini experts, each episode dives into candid conversations with ecosystem leaders on autonomous networks, AI driven operations, satellite enabled connectivity, platformization, and the evolution of the telecom business model. 

Join us as our guests decode breakthrough innovations, spotlight emerging trends, and offer forward-looking perspectives on how operators, hyperscalers, and technology partners are building the next generation of intelligent digital infrastructure. 

Episode 1: Rewriting the RAN Playbook with Marc Feidler, Senior Enterprise Architect at Deutsche Telekom 

Hosts Thilo Ewald, CTO for Telcos at Capgemini Germany, and Shamik Mishra, CTO of Connectivity at Capgemini Engineering, sit down with Marc Feidler, Senior Enterprise Architect at Deutsche Telekom, to unpack how automation, openness, and AI are reshaping the Radio Access Network. Tune in to explore the evolution of the ORAN vision, the rise of intelligent multivendor orchestration, and the operator led platform Deutsche Telekom and Capgemini are codeveloping to accelerate autonomous networks. Discover how AI, cloud native RAN, and new governance models are transforming RAN operations and setting the foundation for the next era of telecom innovation. 

Episode 2: From NOC to Dark NOC – is AI redefining operations? Featuring Peter Briscoe, VP Head of Presales at Blue Planet 

In this episode, Nikhil Gulati, Head of Network Engineering and Product Sustenance at Capgemini Engineering, speaks with Peter Briscoe, VP Head of Presales at Blue Planet, about how AI is transforming the traditional Network Operations Center. Together, they explore the shift from legacy AIOps models to fully autonomous “Dark NOC” environments, the rise of private 5G for industrial operations, and the emerging role of agentic AI in delivering trustworthy automation. Peter shares insights on the challenges operators face, the path to becoming DarkNOCready, and the measurable business outcomes AI powered operations can unlock. 

Episode 3: From anomaly detection to autonomous intelligence. Featuring Mark Hiseman, VP of Strategy at NumoData 

The third episode of Hot Tech Takes from MWC 2026 features Subhankar Pal, Global Innovation Leader for Intelligent Networks at Capgemini Engineering, and Mark Hiseman, VP of Strategy at NumoData, in a deep dive into how multiagentic AI is transforming network resilience. Together, they explore why traditional monitoring tools are no longer enough, how agentic architectures move from simply detecting anomalies to understanding business impact, and the role of semantic digital twins in enabling trustworthy automation. Mark shares his perspective on governance, the balance between human oversight and autonomy, and practical steps operators can take today to begin their journey toward fully autonomous networks. 

Episode 4: Beyond automation – building trust, agility, and value in telecom networks. A discussion with Dr. Ali Tizghadam, Chief Automation Architect and Fellow at TELUS

Hosted by Shamik Mishra, this episode features an in-depth discussion with Dr. Ali Tizghadam, Chief Automation Architect and Fellow at TELUS. Together, they explore how the telecom industry is moving from traditional automation to true autonomy, the challenges of scaling decision making in multivendor environments, and why understanding the “impact radius” of network events is critical for resilient operations. Dr. Ali shares his perspective on TM Forum’s autonomous network frameworks, the role of platforms like TINAA, and how AI driven models – from digital twins to closedloop optimization – can help operators deliver trustworthy, high value automation in an increasingly complex connectivity landscape.

Episode 5: AI at scale – unlocking the new era of telco intelligence with Jen Hawes Hewitt, Google’s Global Head of Growth and Strategy for Telco 

Shamik Mishra returns for a conversation with Jen Hawes Hewitt, Google’s Global Head of Growth and Strategy for Telco. Together, they dive into how largescale AI, cloud, and edge computing are reshaping the telecom landscape – and why AI has shifted from “emerging tech” to an urgent boardroom priority. Jen shares insights on the most impactful telco AI use cases, the challenges of data quality and operating models, and Google’s vision for modernizing networks through AI transformation, monetization, and cloudnative platforms.  

Episode 6: Bridging Earth and orbit – the rise of intelligent NTN connectivity. In conversation with Sridhar Kuppanna, CTO and Senior Vice President of Engineering at ST Engineering iDirect 

In this episode, Rajat Kapoor, Head of SFS at Capgemini Engineering, speaks with Sridhar Kuppanna, CTO and Senior Vice President of Engineering at ST Engineering iDirect, to explore how mobile and satellite networks are finally converging. Together, they unpack what’s driving this shift: from standards-based interoperability and 3GPP advancements to the emergence of unified, multiorbit ecosystems. Sridhar shares insights on the business opportunities unlocked by NonTerrestrial Networks, the role of Collective Alignment across vendors and operators, and how ST Engineering and Capgemini are collaborating to deliver a satelliteoptimized 5G NTN base station.  

Episode 7: Redefining the edge – the new frontier for telecom growth, with Warren Bayek, Vice President of Intelligent Edge at Wind River 

In the final episode of the series, Shamik Mishra sits down with Warren Bayek, Vice President of Intelligent Edge at Wind River, for a compelling exploration of how industrial edge modernization is reshaping the telecom landscape. Together, they discuss the convergence of IT and OT, the limitations of legacy infrastructure, and why scaling intelligent edge platforms is becoming missioncritical for operators and enterprises alike. Darrell shares his perspective on the transformative potential of cloudnative edge architectures, and how industries from aerospace to manufacturing are leveraging nextgeneration edge solutions to drive agility, resilience, and longterm value.