Yigal Elbaz

Yigal Elbaz is the Senior Vice President and Network Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at AT&T. He plays a pivotal role in overseeing the company's technology and network services, focusing on innovations in mobile and fixed networks. Based in Dallas, Texas, Elbaz has been instrumental in advancing AT&T's strategy towards Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technologies.

Professional Background

• Current Role: As SVP and Network CTO, Elbaz leads initiatives aimed at integrating Open RAN into AT&T's infrastructure. He emphasizes the importance of creating a multi-vendor environment that fosters innovation and competition within the telecommunications sector.12
• Key Initiatives: Under his leadership, AT&T has committed to significant investments in Open RAN, including a landmark $14 billion deal with Ericsson. This move is seen as a major step towards enhancing network flexibility and operational efficiency through cloud-based solutions.12

Vision for the Future

Elbaz advocates for a shift from traditional upgrade cycles to continuous innovation in network management. He believes that leveraging open systems will enable faster adoption of new technologies, ultimately leading to fully autonomous networks that can adapt rapidly to changing demands.123 His vision includes:

• Open Hardware: Aiming for 70% of traffic to flow through open hardware by 2026.
• Cloud RAN Migration: Transitioning to cloud-based radio access networks.
• Integration of Third-Party Vendors: Encouraging the use of third-party radios to diversify network capabilities.12

Elbaz's approach reflects a broader industry trend towards more agile and flexible telecommunications systems, which he argues are essential for meeting future demands in connectivity and service delivery.