Regulators, standards bodies and leading operators met in Bangkok on 14 July for the region’s inaugural summit, where the World Broadband Association set out a shared agenda for network infrastructure in the AI era and named XLSmart its first AI-Net Champion.

Government officials, international standards bodies and the region’s leading telecom operators gathered in Bangkok on 14 July for the inaugural Broadband Development Summit APAC 2026, the first regional event of its kind convened under the banner of the World Broadband Association (WBBA). Held under the theme “AI-Powered Connectivity: APAC Innovation for Accelerated Impact,” the summit set out to build regional consensus on how broadband, computing and cross-border digital infrastructure should evolve as artificial intelligence reshapes demand on the region’s networks.

The gathering drew representation from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Thailand’s National Board of the Digital Economy and Society, the WBBA, the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), the Fiber Network Council Asia-Pacific (FNCAP), the World WLAN Application Alliance (WAA), the Network Infrastructure Development Alliance (NIDA), the ITU-WG1 Working Group and the IPv6 Council Expert Committee. They were joined by operators from across the region, including Telkomsel, XLSmart, Surge, Globe Telecom, AIS, China Mobile International and HKT, alongside industry partners including Huawei. Across a single day of sessions, the discussion returned repeatedly to AI-driven network upgrades, broadband infrastructure build-out, target-network evolution, network-computing convergence, cross-border connectivity, and the standards and ecosystem work needed to support them.

“To seize the opportunities of the AI era, we call on the industry to accelerate broadband evolution, advance computing-network synergy, and strengthen the cross-border connectivity. Together, let us build faster, smarter, and greener digital infrastructure for Asia-Pacific,” said Denny Deng, President of Asia Pacific Carrier Business, Huawei.

Two more Huawei executives added technical depth to that vision, addressing the network end to end — from IP transport to optical infrastructure.

“For the AI era, Huawei upgrades the IP bearer network via security resilience, multi-dimensional awareness, and network autonomy. This empowers carriers to guarantee service experience, accelerate monetization, and enhance efficiency, ushering in a new chapter of intelligent connectivity,” said Arthur Wang, Vice President of Data Communication Product Line, Huawei.

“Huawei is driving the Optics-AI Synergy to foster collaborative growth. Through AI-ON, operators can build an AI-centric all-optical target network and establish 1-5-20ms latency circles across the Asia-Pacific region, while supporting efficient computing access and gigabit-class home broadband,” said Kim Jin, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Optical Business Product Line, Huawei.

A converging view

According to the WBBA, a consistent view emerged across the sessions: artificial intelligence is pushing the digital economy into a new, more intelligent phase, and network infrastructure is shifting accordingly, from delivering connectivity to delivering what speakers termed “intelligent connectivity.” Delegates pointed to the deepening convergence of broadband, IP, computing and cross-border digital infrastructure as the foundation needed to support AI application innovation, industrial digitalisation and closer regional coordination. Closing the gap between today’s networks and that future, the association said, would require closer alignment on standards, sustained technical and commercial innovation, and deeper ecosystem collaboration.

Operators weigh in

Operators across the region echoed that shift toward intelligent, AI-native networks, each pointing to how the transition is already playing out on their own networks.

“We fixed it before you feel it. AIS is redefining premium home broadband by combining ultra-fast connectivity with AI-driven network intelligence and a smart home ecosystem — delivering proactive, invisible service excellence that transforms connectivity into differentiated customer value and sustainable ARPU growth,” said Thanit Chaiyaboonthanit, Head of Technology Department, Broadband Business, AIS.

“We stopped treating AI as an add-on feature. Instead, our approach at Globe starts with architecture, embedding intelligence into the very core of how we build, how we sell, and how we operate… By maintaining minute-level awareness of network health, our systems automatically resolve 30% of all Wi-Fi issues without any human intervention,” said Danny Theseira, Head of Broadband Business Group, Globe Telecom.

AI-Net certification launched

At the summit, the WBBA launched its AI-Net Certification, which it describes as a globally recognised benchmark for the data communications sector aimed at countries and operators worldwide. The association said the critical metrics for evaluating modern digital infrastructure now fall into three pillars: national policy guidance, collaborative industrial ecosystems, and the intelligence density of network infrastructure. Under that framework, XLSmart was named the first AI-Net Champion, making Indonesia one of the first countries globally where an operator has achieved the certification — a result the WBBA linked to the country’s national Net5.5G roadmap released last year and its industrial deployment to date.

“The evolution toward Net5.5G AI WAN is an important step in strengthening XLSmart’s transport network for the future. By progressively adopting AI-assisted operations, SRv6, SDN, service differentiation and higher-capacity transport infrastructure, we are enhancing network intelligence, operational efficiency and service resilience while supporting long-term sustainability,” said Regie Ginanjar, Head of Transport Autonomy & Orchestration, Transport Network Transformation, XLSmart.

Gigacity certification awarded

In a separate segment, WBBA Director General Martin Creaner presented the WBBA Gigacity Certification to KOMDIGI (Indonesia), PT Solusi Sinergi Digital Tbk (SURGE), Telkomsel, AIS, TRUE, HKT and Globe. The association said the certifications are intended to set regional benchmarks, showcase best practices and encourage more cities and operators to accelerate their digital transformation.

Standards bodies set the agenda

Standards bodies at the summit stressed that AI-ready networks cannot scale without shared global frameworks, with representatives from the ITU and WBBA’s own working groups pointing to a common roadmap spanning access, optical infrastructure and governance.

“Connectivity is not just about technology. It is a lifeline, a platform for opportunity, and a driver of sustainable development. I believe the intersection of connectivity and artificial intelligence will shape the future of smarter, more resilient networks. To advance regional partnerships, we must focus on three priorities: investing in AI-ready infrastructure to support future demand; ensuring no one is left behind by closing the digital divide; and strengthening regional and global collaboration to scale impact and governance,” said Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU.

“ION-2030 develops the global standard for next generation optical networks in the AI era. It provides exceptional AI applications and service experience. The WBBA and ITU will jointly accelerate its development, and this is a unique opportunity for Asia-Pacific stakeholders to actively influence the future of optical broadband networks,” said Dr. Marcus Brunner, Chief Expert Standardization, WBBA WG1 Chair and Vice-Chair of ETSI ISG F5G.

The summit closed with a joint call to action, with organisers urging governments, international organisations, operators and industry partners to deepen open collaboraation by building standards, innovating and sharing ecosystems together. Delegates were encouraged to accelerate the coordinated development of broadband, computing and cross-border digital infrastructure, and to drive deeper convergence across cloud, network, compute, intelligence and security. The stated ambition is a new generation of digital infrastructure that supports high-quality digital growth across Asia-Pacific and moves the region towards a future defined by intelligent connectivity and open collaboration.

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This article was sponsored by Huawei.

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