#China #Shanghai #Huawei #AI Services #Intelligent WAN

Huawei Introduces Intelligent WAN Target Architecture for ISPs

On September 17, 2026, during the HUAWEI CONNECT 2026 event in Shanghai, Huawei showcased its innovative Intelligent WAN Target Architecture aimed specifically at Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This move is part of their broader strategy to enrich connectivity underpinnings for artificial intelligence (AI) services. The discussion brought together experts and partners from the ISP sector worldwide to delve into current industry trends, solutions, and best practices.

The Rise of AI in ISP Services

Wayne Zhou, Vice President of Huawei's ISP Computing and Network Infrastructure Division, highlighted the accelerated commercialization of AI, enabling significant players in the industry to leverage their capabilities through streamlined services. The ISP landscape is transforming; traditional roles of ISPs are evolving beyond basic data delivery. They are increasingly utilizing edge nodes and their unique advantages to integrate connectivity, processing power, and application programming interfaces (APIs). This shift marks a transition from merely selling bandwidth to offering AI services, necessitating the construction of a unified, intelligent, service-oriented WAN to enhance AI readiness and ongoing development.

Introducing the Intelligent WAN Target Architecture

Ado, CEO of Huawei's Wide Area Network segment, presented the Intelligent WAN Target Architecture, emphasizing that agent-based AI is instigating noteworthy changes in the networking domain. These transformations include:
1. Shifting connections from human users to automated agents.
2. Alterations in traffic patterns from predominantly downward traffic to a significant increase in upward traffic.
3. Broadening the scope of network experience security from specific applications to encompass the entire workflow of agents.

To navigate and capitalize on these changes, ISPs must reinforce their network infrastructures. Ado suggested prioritizing three strategic pillars to achieve this goal:

• - Building a hierarchical, modular, and standardized converged IP + Optical target architecture. This will allow ISPs to quickly expand their presence and deliver services while simultaneously improving network resilience, which accelerates the deployment of AI-powered solutions.
• - Focusing on end-to-end user experiences. By transforming network capabilities into definable, measurable, and deliverable differentiated services, ISPs can enhance both network monetization and AI deployment.
• - Enhancing intelligent operations and maintenance abilities. Utilizing tools like the Network Digital Map, fault localization agents, and AI assistants can significantly cut OPEX and boost operational and maintenance efficiency.

In addition to these insights, the roundtable session featured presentations from industry leaders such as Lintasarta from Indonesia, SiliconFlow from China, and Telconet from Ecuador. They shared their AI service implementations and discussed the provisioning of intelligent networks, contributing valuable insights into actionable strategies for network planning and delivery tailored for the AI era.

Huawei remains committed to pushing forward with its innovations and investments in ISP and computing networks, partnering with clients to pioneer a new intelligent future.