Speakers

Harel Givon, general manager – Amdocs (chairperson)

Pragash Pillai, CTO – Hotwire Communications

Craig Cowden, EVP, chief technology and product officer – Metronet

The telecoms industry is consolidating fast, and for the operators caught in the middle, too large to be nimble, too small to be immune, the pressure to modernise is existential. At Metro Connect 2026, a fireside chat brought together two of the sector’s most forward-thinking technology leaders to discuss how transformation, AI investment and strategic partnership are separating the winners from those being acquired.

The session, chaired by Harel Givon of Amdocs, featured Pragash Pillai, CTO at Hotwire Communications, and Craig Cowden, executive vice president and chief technology and product Officer at Metronet. What emerged was a candid account of two companies that have made significant bets on technology and are already seeing the returns.