Guest host Liz Coyne wrangled an exec from Nokia Bell Labs to talk about the company’s recent mission to the moon. The mission came as Nokia Bell Labs celebrated its 100th anniversary but the landing didn’t go quite as expected.  

Nokia’s Thierry Kline, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia, tells Liz all about why the company is aiming for the moon in the first place, what it learned from the mission and what’s next. 

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: Nokia Bell Labs research prez details Moon mission, more_mixdown

This week, we delve back into the intersection of AI and networking, and more specifically what enterprises need to know and prepare for as AI moves to the edge.

Just how distributed will AI really be? How will enterprises decide what workloads go where? And what should they be thinking about and planning for to make the AI-driven future a reality?

We sat down with GTT SVP of Product Engineering to sift through these thorny questions and provide some guidance on how to handle the AI wave to come.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

What happens to AI factories when AI moves to the edge? [https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/what-happens-ai-factories-when-ai-moves-edge]

Telcos have the perfect edge cloud infrastructure for AI up their sleeve [https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/telcos-have-perfect-edge-cloud-infrastructure-ai-their-sleeve]

Op-Ed: Telco optimism springs at MWC with the hopes of AI at the edge [https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/op-ed-telco-optimism-springs-mwc-hopes-ai-edge]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: GTT talks taking AI to the edge

The Fierce Network crew made it back safe and sound, for the most part, from Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona. But the show, which is essentially the official start to the year in telecom, gave us a lot to think about. We spent the week digesting what all the announcements from the show mean for the industry and now we're looking forward to what the rest of 2025 has in store for operators. Here’s what we have our eyes on.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

Nokia’s not getting hung up on missed lunar phone call [https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/nokias-not-getting-hung-missed-lunar-phone-call]

FNTV: Orange isn't giving up on APIs [https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/fntv-orange-isnt-giving-apis]

MWC 2025 coverage hub [https://www.fierce-network.com/keyword/mobile-world-congress-2025] 

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: What we have our eyes on in 2025

The hotels are booked, the bags are packed and at the end of this week, the flights will be boarded. But what will we find when we get there? That’s the question we’re going to tackle today and the answers just might surprise you.

With me are Fierce Network’s editor-in-chief Liz Coyne, executive editor Monica Alleven, Senior Reporter Dan Jones and our Research guru Mitch Wagner.

This podcast is written and hosted by Diana Goovaerts. It is edited by Diana Goovaerts and Matt Rickman. Liz Coyne is our executive producer.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

 * MWC 2025: Will it be hot or not? [https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/mwc-2025-will-it-be-hot-or-not]
 * What to expect when you’re expecting… to attend MWC25 [https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/what-expect-when-youre-expecting-attend-mwc25]
 * Catch all the MWC news as it rolls in right here [https://www.fierce-network.com/keyword/mobile-world-congress-2025]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: MWC 2025 pre-show bingo board

This week, we delve into the nitty gritty of one of the biggest turnaround stories in telecom in recent years: that of Frontier Communications.  

Frontier recently made headlines when Verizon agreed to pay $20 billion in cash to acquire the company as part of a bid to drastically expand its fiber footprint. That deal is now expected to close in Q1 of 2026. But while it’s flying high now, Frontier’s fortunes weren’t nearly as positive just a few short years ago.  

Back in April 2020, the company actually filed for bankruptcy. And while it emerged from bankruptcy a year later, CEO Nick Jeffrey had his work cut out for him righting the ship.  

We’ve all seen Frontier’s upbeat PR in recent years as its pivot to fiber revived the company’s revenue. But we wanted the details on just how big a lift the transformation was. We sat down with Jeffrey to hear more about the state of the company when he first joined, how the company navigated through transformation initiatives that fell flat and whether leadership really always knew they’d be successful. 

This podcast is written and hosted by Diana Goovaerts. It is edited by Diana Goovaerts and Matt Rickman. Liz Coyne is our executive producer. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

 * Here’s how Frontier used AI to revive its ailing B2B business 

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/heres-how-frontier-used-ai-revive-its-ailing-b2b-business  

 * Verizon's $20B Frontier buy is all about 'convergence, baby' 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/verizon-rumored-buy-frontier-its-convergence-game  

 * Frontier wants to become the ‘un-cable’ ISP 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/frontier-wants-become-un-cable-isp  

 * Frontier plans 495,000 new fiber passings in 2021 <

The Five Nine: Frontier’s CEO talks coming back from the brink 

This week, we explore the rise of sovereign clouds across the globe. 

You’ve probably heard of GDPR by now, or at least data privacy. And while sovereignty is sort of in a similar sphere, it’s more about data direction than privacy.  

We sat down with Vultr’s Kevin Cochrane to examine what sovereignty means, how it’s accomplished and the impact AI could have on the landscape. 

This podcast is written and hosted by Diana Goovaerts. It is edited by Diana Goovaerts and Matt Rickman. Liz Coyne is our executive producer. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

 * ‘There’s no escaping’ digital sovereignty, Google Cloud exec says 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/theres-no-escaping-rise-digital-sovereignty-google-cloud-exec-says  

 * How Trump 2.0 could transform American cloud, AI, broadband and more 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/how-trump-20-could-transform-american-cloud-ai-broadband-and-more  

 * Nations declare independence with 'sovereign clouds' 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/how-sovereign-clouds-help-build-great-nations 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: Bending the knee to the sovereign cloud

This week, we sat down to pull back the curtain on the idea factory chugging along behind the scenes at one of the largest hyperscalers: Google Cloud. 

CTO Will Grannis heads up Google Cloud’s Office of the CTO, or OCTO, which is comprised of senior Google technology experts and former enterprise CTOs. Together, this team sifts through the company’s big ideas to figure out what will work and what won’t.  

And while the world hears about it when Google Cloud knocks it out of the park with an idea, there are many, many others that never make it to prime time. Failure, Grannis told us, plays a big role in Google Cloud’s Office of the CTO. 

Together, we walk through the lifecycle of an idea at OCTO, how to home in on the good ideas and why failing often and fast is actually a good thing. 

This podcast is written and hosted by Diana Goovaerts. It is edited by Diana Goovaerts and Matt Rickman. Liz Coyne is our executive producer. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

 * Google Cloud could overtake Microsoft’s No. 2 cloud position this year 

 * https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/google-cloud-overtake-microsofts-no-2-cloud-position-year  

 * Exclusive: Google Cloud CTO talks tech, failures and what the future holds 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/multi-cloud/exclusive-google-cloud-cto-talks-tech-failures-and-what-future-holds 

 * Google Cloud brains say AI, sustainable finance, energy and privacy are trends to watch 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/public/google-cloud-cto-office-brains-watch-these-6-cloud-trends  

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: The birth – and death – of ideas in Google Cloud’s Office of the CTO 

This week, we’re taking a look at what the future holds for operators when it comes to the mobile core.  

The march to the cloud has been a steady but rather slow journey for operators. And nowhere is this more true than for mobile core services. But that could soon change, thanks to a recent deal Alianza struck to acquire Metaswitch from Microsoft.  

Here’s what Alianza’s CEO Brian Beutler had to say about the state of the market today and what’s on the horizon. 

This podcast is written and hosted by Diana Goovaerts. It is edited by Diana Goovaerts and Matt Rickman. Liz Coyne is our executive producer. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

 * Exclusive: Alianza buys Metaswitch from Microsoft in deal years in the making https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/exclusive-alianza-buys-metaswitch-microsoft-deal-years-making  

 * Exclusive Op-Ed: Alianza resurrects Metaswitch from Microsoft grave https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/exclusive-op-ed-alianza-resurrects-metaswitch-microsoft-grave  

 * Beyond VoIP: Alianza, AWS partner to push legacy telco ‘crap’ to the cloud https://www.fierce-network.com/apps-services/alianza-aws-partner-push-legacy-telco-crap-cloud 

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: Alianza’s CEO talks what’s next for the mobile core

In this episode of The Five Nine Podcast, host James Careless dives into the future of 5G technology with special guests Matthew Almand, Chief Technology Officer at Texas A&M University System, and Thierry Chau, Vice President of Market Development at CommScope.

Texas A&M University System is gearing up for a full-scale 5G transformation across its flagship and regional campuses, and Matthew shares the challenges of supporting both urban and rural environments, plus high-demand venues like Kyle Field Stadium.

Thierry provides insights on CommScope’s role in delivering robust, adaptable connectivity solutions to meet Texas A&M University System’s unique needs—from enhancing fan experiences on game day to enabling connectivity in academic and administrative buildings.

They also explore how ongoing tech upgrades, evolving carrier partnerships, and strategic planning are shaping future-ready digital campuses.

With the tech needs of students, faculty, and sports fans in mind, this episode offers a look at the broader 5G landscape, and the specific steps taken to bring seamless connectivity to one of the largest university systems in the U.S.

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Scaling Up: Texas A&M's 5G Expansion with CommScope's Tech Expertise [Sponsored]

This week, we’re taking a look at what the recent U.S. election means for telecom and tech policy in the years ahead.  

  

Donald Trump just won a second term in the White House, but this go around could be very different from the first thanks in part to the entrance of new key characters - like Elon Musk and Robert Kennedy – into the equation.  

  

To sift through the implications of another Trump term on telecom and tech policy at the FCC, FTC and beyond, we spoke with Blair Levin, who is a non-resident senior fellow at The Brookings Institution and an analyst with New Street Research. We also spoke with veteran tech and telecom analyst Jack Gold.  

  

They told Fierce that another Trump term could mean big changes for BEAD, AI and even cloud computing costs.  

  

Here’s what they had to say about the issues they’re watching. 

  

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

 * What the Trump win means for the FCC and telecom policy 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/what-trump-win-means-fcc-and-telecom-policy  
      

 * What the Trump win could mean for the BEAD program 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/what-trump-win-could-mean-bead-program 
      

 * What the Trump win could mean for wireless and spectrum 
   https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/trump-and-wireless-first-glance 
      

 * What the Trump win means for cloud policy  
   https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/what-trump-win-means-cloud-policy 

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Five Nine: What does Trump mean for telecom and tech policy? 

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