ZTE and XLSMART test autonomous network optimisation AI agent

ZTE and XLSMART have validated a network optimisation AI agent in live wireless operations, targeting Level 4 autonomous networks.

The companies presented the trial results at the ZTE Global Summit & User Congress 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The showcase documented practical progress in applying AI-driven network intelligence and agentic automation across production sites.

The joint trial marks a step in XLSMART’s migration towards Level 4 (L4) autonomous networks—an architecture defined by automated closed-loop execution and reduced manual intervention.

The milestone was presented at a joint release ceremony attended by Shurish Subbramaniam, CTO of XLSMART; George Glass, CTO of TM Forum; and James Zhang and Zhang Wanchun, Senior Vice Presidents of ZTE.

ZTE serves as a technology partner supporting XLSMART’s autonomous network roadmap, focusing on implementing autonomous agent software within commercial infrastructure.

“XLSMART continues to explore how AI and automation can further advance our network operations and accelerate our journey toward autonomous networks,”explains Subbramaniam

“Our collaboration with ZTE enables us to validate high-value agentic use cases directly in the live-network environment, allowing us to assess their operational effectiveness and measurable value under real network conditions.

“The learnings from these validations will help shape how we progressively develop and scale autonomous capabilities as part of XLSMART’s broader network operations evolution.”

Closed-loop control in wireless coverage optimisation

The field trial focused on wireless coverage optimisation, deploying ZTE’s Network Optimization Agent to manage operational adjustments across active cell sites.

The agent handled the complete operational loop, connecting network perception and analysis directly to automated decision-making and execution. Across the validated scope, the system recorded an automated closed-loop closure rate of 25 percent.

According to project data, this closed-loop operation reduced the manual effort and time typically required for engineering teams to advance network modifications from initial analysis to live execution. The agent produced its own optimisation strategies, running automated analysis, strategy generation, and configuration execution across the trial footprint.

Expanding agentic AI automation across commercial network sites

The results provide evidence for how agentic network optimisation capabilities can accelerate operational cycles as systems are developed and scaled.

Following the demonstration in Kuala Lumpur, ZTE and XLSMART confirmed they will continue exploring and validating autonomous network scenarios in live-network environments.

Future engineering work will concentrate on enhancing agent capabilities and expanding validated use cases across XLSMART’s commercial network operations.

See also: ZTE and Ucell prove AI cuts mobile network OpEx

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