Juniper Networks CEO Rami Rahim joins the podcast to discuss why future 5G services will be virtualized, how AI can improve network performance and what's next for the Apstra and Netrounds acquisitions.

The networking company wants to further automate data centers "because the future of 5G services is going to be virtualized, it's going to leverage the distributed telco cloud." In addition, Rahim sees 5G as a catalyst for Juniper to heighten its focus on improving performance in WAN transport networks as service providers converge mobile, fixed access, enterprise and residential networks.

That emphasis on data center automation is where Juniper's recent acquisition of Apstra comes in: "What Apstra is really good at is day two operations. So essentially the day-to-day management, troubleshooting ... understanding whether it's actually performing well," says Rahim. "We want to remove the human element from operating the network."

Juniper's CEO closes out the podcast with his predictions on which topics will generate the most buzz at Mobile World Congress later this month. 5G will of course be a major theme, but Rahim believes we'll hear more about the next-generation 5G Core, open RAN and how the webscalers might take advantage of the 5G market opportunity.

You can find all of Light Reading's editorial and custom audio programs on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud or Spotify.

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— Kelsey Kusterer Ziser, Senior Editor, Light Reading