Cisco Seeks AI-Native Network Boost as Traffic Surge Looms

Cisco is urging Congress to accelerate the development of AI-native network infrastructure. According to Bob Everson, chief architect for Cisco's service provider mobility team, AI-driven campus and branch traffic will surge by 209% over the next three years.

This growth in AI traffic, coupled with the rise of AI agents that can generate 450% more traffic per task than human users, poses a significant challenge to networks. Everson emphasized the need for 'more balanced network designs' and a focus on where computing occurs, impacting performance, cost, and data governance.

Cisco is calling for policy changes to support this shift. Everson testified before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media that Congress should modernize permitting and infrastructure policies. He also stressed the need for the Universal Service Fund (USF) to account for the evolving costs of AI-ready networks, ensuring rural and urban communities can share in the benefits.

Cisco sees AI-native mobile networks as a key opportunity for growth, enabling new services like inference optimization, edge AI, and industry-specific solutions. Everson also praised the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) recent call to action on 6G standards, encouraging Congress to lean in on American strengths across 5G, computing, and wireless.