Ericsson Latam South president Rodrigo Dienstmann warned that physical AI — drones, machines, robots — requires thinking both about the concept of “networks for AI” and “AI for networks.”

Instead of the current focus on download — the offering of plans and speeds as the commercial axis for telcos — AI places the emphasis on upload, which represents a complete shift for networks. “Monetizing the uplink is different. Network management for these workloads is also different: they must be automated, managed by AI agents,” Dienstmann said in an interview with Convergencialatina during MWC Barcelona 2026.

The executive echoed one of the event’s central messages, tied to the consolidation of operators. He highlighted the Brazilian market, where the reduction from four to three operators helped providers gain scale and greater willingness to invest. “In general, the fourth operator, the so-called ‘late comer,’ has no argument beyond price,” he added.

During the event in Barcelona, Convergencialatina also spoke with Andrea Faustino, CTO for the Southern Cone at Ericsson. The executive discussed the transition in 5G from Non Stand-Alone to Stand-Alone networks, and the need to incorporate automation elements to accelerate that shift.

“An autonomous network allows operators to obtain information for decision-making, track the execution of changes and confirm that they were implemented correctly. It is an intent-based network, rather than one based on parameters,” she said.

Regarding specific application cases in Latin America, Faustino mentioned Vivo Brasil. The operator has launched a pilot to achieve a level of autonomy in the RAN: “It will work with apps so the RAN can adapt to specific services.”