Dr. Razib Islam
Talk Title & Abstract Telco AI for beyond connectivity: Imperatives for Industry 5.0 As we enter Industry 5.0, telecommunications is shifting from pure connectivity to becoming the intelligence engine of a human-centric, automated, and resilient digital economy. Telco AI is at the centre of this transformation, enabling networks that are autonomous, predictive, and tightly integrated with edge and cloud environments. This keynote highlights how AI-native, autonomous networks deliver zero-touch operations, real-time assurance, and deterministic performance capabilities essential for mission-critical industries, cyber-physical systems, and large-scale automation. These AI-driven capabilities set the foundation for future industrial environments where reliability and adaptive security are non-negotiable. Beyond operational excellence, Telco AI opens new enterprise revenue pathways. Operators can move up the value chain through AI-enabled platforms for robotics, digital twins, industrial analytics, and enterprise generative AI delivered from telco-grade edge clouds. In a competitive landscape shaped by hyperscalers, telcos must leverage their unique assets: network intelligence, trust, regulatory alignment, and local presence. The human-centric vision of Industry 5.0 requires AI that enhances human capability, drives personalised digital experiences, and supports sustainable national digital transformation. To lead this era, telcos must invest in AI skills and platforms, strengthen sovereign and secure AI frameworks, monetise network APIs, and build strong ecosystem partnerships. Telco AI is the catalyst that propels operators beyond connectivity, thereby enabling the intelligent industries of tomorrow. Biography Dr Razib Islam is a seasoned Telecom & Digital Transformation Leader (over 22 years of experience) across micro & millimetre wave, wireless, fibre-optic, software-defined networks, artificial intelligence use cases and IoT integrated network/private edge architecture solutions. Currently, he is a Senior Manager for network connectivity platforms in Ooredoo Qatar (a dominant Telecom Operator in Qatar). Razib commenced his career as a lecturer in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh was back in 2002. In the early stages of his career, he was a graduate researcher at Macquarie University and later at National ICT Australia (NICTA) at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Later, he worked as a design quality lead in Visionstream, Australia, for the largest ever nation-wide broadband infrastructure project of Australia called the National Broadband Network (NBN). He also worked as a Senior Telecom Consultant in GQI Consulting Ltd (a management consulting company) based in Melbourne prior to joining NBN Co (a Government Business Enterprise for the nation-wide broadband infrastructure) as a Solution Architect for advanced telecom technologies. While wearing multiple hats in industry and R&;D career over the past years, Razib developed a high level of expertise and experience with technologies like passive optical network, fibre-to-the-premises/nodes and more recently in emerging Edge AI, Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, software-defined networks, cloud technologies, global connectivity, satellite connectivity solutions (using Starlink and LEO), etc. Razib received his PhD degree in telecommunication engineering from the University of Melbourne in 2012. He also received a master’s degree in radio communication engineering from Kyung Hee University, South Korea, back in 2007 and a BSc. Engg in EEE from the Islamic University of Technology, Bangladesh, in 2002. He also completed multiple industry certifications from MIT, INSEAD, Cardiff University, NVIDIA and ONF. Razib has over 50 publications, including top-tier international journals, conferences and book chapters. He serves regularly as an industry panellist and keynote speaker, apart from being a reviewer and technical program committee member in international journals & conferences. He is a member of IEEE and participates actively in industry forums such as TM Forum, ONF, ETSI, ITU, and BBF.
Talk Title & Abstract
Telco AI for beyond connectivity: Imperatives for Industry 5.0
As we enter Industry 5.0, telecommunications is shifting from pure connectivity to becoming the intelligence engine of a human-centric, automated, and resilient digital economy. Telco AI is at the centre of this transformation, enabling networks that are autonomous, predictive, and tightly integrated with edge and cloud environments. This keynote highlights how AI-native, autonomous networks deliver zero-touch operations, real-time assurance, and deterministic performance capabilities essential for mission-critical industries,
cyber-physical systems, and large-scale automation. These AI-driven capabilities set the foundation for future industrial environments where reliability and adaptive security are non-negotiable.
Beyond operational excellence, Telco AI opens new enterprise revenue pathways. Operators can move up the value chain through AI-enabled platforms for robotics, digital twins, industrial analytics, and enterprise generative AI delivered from telco-grade edge clouds. In a competitive landscape shaped by hyperscalers, telcos must leverage their unique assets: network intelligence, trust, regulatory alignment, and local presence.
The human-centric vision of Industry 5.0 requires AI that enhances human capability, drives personalised digital experiences, and supports sustainable national digital transformation.
To lead this era, telcos must invest in AI skills and platforms, strengthen sovereign and secure AI frameworks, monetise network APIs, and build strong ecosystem partnerships. Telco AI is the catalyst that propels operators beyond connectivity, thereby enabling the intelligent industries of tomorrow.
Biography
Dr Razib Islam is a seasoned Telecom & Digital Transformation Leader (over 22 years of experience) across micro & millimetre wave, wireless, fibre-optic, software-defined networks, artificial intelligence use cases and IoT
integrated network/private edge architecture solutions. Currently, he is a Senior Manager for network connectivity platforms in Ooredoo Qatar (a dominant Telecom Operator in Qatar).
Razib commenced his career as a lecturer in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh was back in 2002. In the early stages of his career, he was a graduate researcher at Macquarie University and later at National ICT Australia (NICTA) at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Later, he worked as a design quality lead in Visionstream, Australia, for the largest ever nation-wide broadband infrastructure project of Australia called the National Broadband Network (NBN). He also worked as a Senior Telecom Consultant in GQI Consulting Ltd (a management consulting company) based in Melbourne prior to joining NBN Co (a Government Business Enterprise for the nation-wide broadband infrastructure) as a Solution Architect for advanced telecom technologies.
While wearing multiple hats in industry and R&;D career over the past years, Razib developed a high level of expertise and experience with technologies like passive optical network, fibre-to-the-premises/nodes and more recently in emerging Edge AI, Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, software-defined networks, cloud technologies, global connectivity, satellite connectivity solutions (using Starlink and LEO), etc.
Razib received his PhD degree in telecommunication engineering from the University of Melbourne in 2012. He also received a master’s degree in radio communication engineering from Kyung Hee University, South Korea,
back in 2007 and a BSc. Engg in EEE from the Islamic University of Technology, Bangladesh, in 2002. He also completed multiple industry certifications from MIT, INSEAD, Cardiff University, NVIDIA and ONF.
Razib has over 50 publications, including top-tier international journals, conferences and book chapters. He serves regularly as an industry panellist and keynote speaker, apart from being a reviewer and technical program committee
member in international journals & conferences. He is a member of IEEE and participates actively in industry forums such as TM Forum, ONF, ETSI, ITU, and BBF.