Cloud Native Telco Day returns to KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026 as a full-day co-located event bringing together telecommunications and cloud native communities for deep technical exchange and real-world collaboration.
Originally launched in 2022 in Valencia, Cloud Native Telco Day was created to bridge the networking and cloud native ecosystems. That mission is even more relevant today. Telecommunications providers are at an inflection point where AI and agentic AI systems are reshaping how networks are built and operated. As 5G matures and the industry looks toward 6G and beyond, the boundaries between network and cloud infrastructures are blurring. Telcos are adopting CNCF technologies across every layer of the telecom stack to enable autonomous operations, self-optimizing systems, and highly distributed architectures that must meet strict performance, reliability, and security requirements.
Cloud Native Telco Day provides a collaborative space for operators, vendors, integrators, hardware providers, and open source maintainers to share lessons learned from running cloud native telco workloads in production.
Who will get the most out of attending this event?
Practitioners running telco infrastructure in production will benefit most. This event brings together real-world case studies from operators deploying CNCF technologies in live networks. Attendees can learn directly from peers about what worked, what did not, and how to avoid repeating costly mistakes in their own environments.
Platform teams building internal developer platforms and cloud native telco stacks will also gain practical insights into networking, observability, GitOps lifecycle management, and managing distributed network workloads at scale. Network function vendors and publishers will hear directly from operators about cloud native requirements and constraints, helping them better align with CNF best practices and certification standards.
Maintainers of CNCF projects benefit as well. Telecommunications workloads often come with unique constraints such as ultra-low latency, high availability, and regulatory requirements. Direct dialogue with operators helps ensure that CNCF technologies continue evolving in ways that support these real-world needs.
The audience typically spans a 201-level baseline, with some 301–401 deep dives and a few introductory sessions, making it accessible while still technically rich.
What is new and different this year?
This year marks an important evolution for Cloud Native Telco Day. After a fully packed room last year in London, the event is expanding from a half-day format to a full-day program. The agenda includes more panel sessions to encourage open dialogue across communities and perspectives.
The event will feature participation from sponsors Red Hat and Sylva/LFN while maintaining a vendor-neutral, community-driven focus. In addition, some of the topics explored during Cloud Native Telco Day will continue in deeper technical discussions later in the week at the Linux Foundation Europe Sylva project developer day, giving attendees an opportunity to extend conversations and dive further into implementation details.
What will the day look like?
Cloud Native Telco Day 2026 will be a full-day event featuring an opening session, seven talks, three panels, one lightning talk, and a closing session. The structure is designed to balance technical depth with interactive discussion.
Beyond the formal agenda, the day is known for informal knowledge sharing and cross-ecosystem conversations. Telecom operators, network function vendors, global systems integrators, hardware vendors, and open source project maintainers gather in one room to discuss production challenges, architectural tradeoffs, and emerging patterns in cloud native telco transformation.
Core themes include Cloud Native AI, observability, and security, with strong alignment to platform engineering principles. Sessions explore how AI and agentic AI systems enable autonomous network operations, how observability supports complex distributed telecom environments, and how security remains foundational as telco infrastructure becomes increasingly cloud native.
Should I do any homework first?
No formal preparation is required. However, attendees may benefit from familiarity with CNCF technologies commonly used in telecom environments, as well as a basic understanding of network function virtualization, edge computing, and GitOps workflows. Coming prepared with specific production challenges or architectural questions can help maximize the value of discussions throughout the day.
Find your community!
Cloud Native Telco Day strengthens the broader ecosystem by breaking down silos between telecommunications and cloud native communities. It supports cross-community collaboration, real-world knowledge sharing, and technical education grounded in production experience.
Operators can articulate their requirements directly to project maintainers. Maintainers gain feedback from real-world deployments. Vendors and integrators hear firsthand where standards, tooling, and best practices need refinement. The result is stronger ecosystem alignment and shared progress toward resilient, secure, and AI-enabled telco infrastructure built on cloud native foundations.
If you are working at the intersection of telecom and cloud native technologies, this is your space to connect, learn, and contribute.
Don’t forget to register for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026.
Cloud Native Telco Day London 2025