End-of-year update on the TIP community
As we edge closer to Fyuz 2024, the excitement around the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) continues to grow. TIP isn’t just another initiative—it’s a global movement aimed at transforming telecom networks to meet the demands of tomorrow. From open and disaggregated to cloud-native, AI-driven, software-centric innovation, the TIP member community is making significant strides in creating scalable and accessible solutions for the telecom industry.
At TIP, welcoming new and renewing members is always a highlight. But beyond introductions, we know many of you are eager for deeper insights—how the membership is evolving, who’s leading core initiatives, and what lies ahead to help shape your priorities within TIP.
This update marks the first of a bi-annual Board & TIP Leadership brief, offering key insights into the progress and direction of our global community. With your involvement, TIP continues to drive transformation across the telecom ecosystem—creating open, innovative networks for the future.
Here’s a snapshot of the four key areas where we’ve made significant strides through 2024:
1. Governance Evolution
Our governance structure is evolving to increase transparency, agility, and collaborative leadership. These improvements are designed to ensure TIP remains responsive to industry needs whilst delivering real-world impact.
2. Strengthening the Member Community
The TIP community has grown in both scale and diversity, with new members joining across multiple sectors. We’re also seeing deeper collaboration among existing members, driving meaningful outcomes and enhancing cross-industry innovation.
3. Member Successes: Collaboration in Action
From breakthroughs in OpenRAN, Open Optical & Packet Transport and OpenWiFi to neutral host models and inserting AI architectures into Telco networks, our members have demonstrated the power of open collaboration this year. These successes reflect TIP’s mission to create economically viable, standards-based, interoperable & high-performance networks for all.
4. Road Ahead: TIP in 2025
As we prepare for 2025, expect to see a continued focus on automation, open networks, and enhanced interoperability & deployability. Our Board & leadership team are already working with members to anticipate industry shifts and align projects with the next wave of market needs.
This bi-annual update will help you stay aligned with TIP’s priorities and leverage the community’s shared expertise to accelerate your work. We look forward to your active participation as we continue to push boundaries, scale innovation, and build the networks of the future.
Let’s dive in.
TIP’s Governance Board Update: A New Chapter for TIP
At the Board level, we’ve seen some exciting transitions in leadership. Recently, Yago Tenorio of Vodafone Group announced his decision to step down as Chairman and President of TIP as he embarks on a new career path. In his place, we are proud to introduce Rob Soni, VP of RAN Technology at AT&T, as TIP’s new Board Chair, and Caroline Chan, VP & GM of the 5G Infrastructure Division at Intel, as our new President. Caroline has been a long-time TIP Board member, and together with Rob, brings a fresh perspective to our community.
This new leadership signals a positive shift for TIP, introducing fresh dynamics and stronger alignment—particularly as North America and allied markets collaborate to drive scale adoption of Open Network Solutions. Their strategic influence will further TIP’s mission to deliver innovative, open, and interoperable solutions across the telecom ecosystem.
The TIP community extends its gratitude to Yago Tenorio for his remarkable leadership in guiding TIP through a period of profound industry transformation. His contributions leave a lasting impact, and we wish him continued success in his future endeavors.
With Rob and Caroline, in partnership with our Board of Directors (BoD), now steering TIP, the focus turns to the areas where TIP can have the greatest impact on the industry agenda. This includes not only AI for the telecom sector but also advancing the industrialization of system-level testing and certification across key technology domains.
We look forward to accelerating progress under our new leadership and continuing to build momentum toward an open, connected future.
The TIP Technical Committee will see exciting new leadership with the appointment of two Co-Chairs: Ihab Tarazi, SVP & CTO at Dell Technologies, and Cayetano Carbajo, Director of Core, Transport, and Service Platforms at Telefónica Group. Together, they bring deep industry expertise and a shared vision for TIP’s future. Their focus will be to guide TIP’s technology strategy and ensure steady progress across the Project Groups, reinforcing TIP’s commitment to driving meaningful, deployable innovation through collaboration.
At the same time, the Test & Validation Council (TVC) is undergoing a refresh, building its position as an influential, industry-wide body. The TVC is committed to raising the bar for test activities, both within TIP and across the global telecom ecosystem. For vendors and integrators, engagement with the TVC—perhaps in pursuit of a TIP Badge—is already becoming a key milestone. More than a stamp of approval, the TIP Badge symbolizes trust and readiness, giving CTOs and CPOs confidence in multi-vendor solutions that meet TIP’s certification standards. As part of TIP’s broader Test & Certification strategy, the TVC and the TIP Exchange will play an essential role in fostering trust and adoption of open, validated solutions, helping operators and partners deploy with greater confidence and efficiency.
TIP Community Update: 2024 in Review and a Look Ahead
Over the past year, many of you have likely received a call or email from the TIP team, encouraging you to join or renew your membership. For those who renewed in 2024, thank you for your continued commitment. We look forward to growing together and building on this momentum in 2025.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the key achievements that showcase the strength and diversity of the TIP community:
- 180 organizations are actively contributing to TIP, with 30% being small businesses—a testament to the inclusiveness of the community.
- 800+ individuals are engaged across multiple Project Groups, bringing their expertise and energy to tackle some of the industry’s biggest challenges.
As depicted in the chart below, there is a broad and balanced distribution of participation globally and across the value chain, reflecting the diversity needed to drive innovation forward
Lightweight Team, Powerful Impact
The TIP team remains intentionally operationally lean, focused on enabling members to collaborate effectively and lead initiatives. This approach keeps the community agile, ensuring that collective innovation can flourish.
At its heart, TIP is about more than just technology—it’s about building trust and delivering deployable solutions through the TIP test & certification framework. At the same time, TIP remains committed to offering members space to explore new areas of innovation.
TIP’s additional value lies in convening the industry—bringing together operators, vendors, policy makers and innovators – to accelerate progress and deliver real-world solutions, whether as a global community at Fyuz, or in the context of driving collaborative project group delivery at a regional level.
Looking ahead, TIP remains committed to fostering this spirit of collaboration and is excited for what 2025 will bring. Together, the community will continue to push boundaries, explore new opportunities, and shape the future of connectivity.
Successes from the TIP member community
Your contribution and success is TIP’s success. Here are some moments of glory that you’ve been instrumental in driving over 2024:
Road Ahead: TIP in 2025 and a Call to Action
With Fyuz less than a week away, many of the ideas and initiatives shaping TIP’s future will be on full display. Attendees will have the chance to engage with key themes, connect with thought leaders, and explore the latest advancements driving telecom forward.
The future for the TIP community is full of promise. Here are four key predictions for 2025 that reflect where TIP is headed:
- Strength in the community – in terms of diversity and leadership
Expect to see more influential players join TIP – startups and larger players alike – actively participating in driving adoption of TIP certified solutions, furthering the groundswell of innovation, and striking more commercial trials and deployments around the globe. - The AI Revolution in Full Swing
The rise of AI-powered solutions will manifest in TIP-certified tools for RAN optimization and trial architectures that pave the way for new telco network services. - Advancing Testing and Certification
A more structured, industrial approach to testing, certification, and deployment will ensure that TIP promotes Open Network solutions that are scalable and ready for real-world applications. - Economically Viable Network Expansion
Look for innovative, cost-effective models to extend coverage and capacity, along with GA solutions reaching broader markets to meet evolving demands.
These predictions offer a glimpse of where TIP’s energy and focus will be directed in 2025.
To help make these visions a reality, here are a 3 actions we ask of you:
- Join us at Fyuz 2024 in Dublin (www.fyuz.events). If you can’t attend, stay tuned for key takeaways and highlights.
- Lock in your TIP membership renewal as you finalize your 2025 budget. Your membership ensures you remain part of the industry’s most transformative conversations and projects.
- Engage fully with the TIP community. The industry moves forward when members actively participate, collaborate, and contribute. Your involvement is essential in driving ROI and creating value, not just for TIP, but for the entire ecosystem.
Together, we are shaping the future of telecom. With collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision, we can accelerate the change needed to create more open, sustainable, and scalable networks.
References:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hRTTuMyOjnOWW7RtXrRe3bdn0vcUWU2EeuoJO8m6tcE/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0