The Five Nine: Building a new network – and telco – for AI with Lumen

This week, we sat down with Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson to delve into how AI is changing not just the network, but the culture inside telecom companies. 

Just a few years ago, you’d have been forgiven for viewing Lumen as something of a company on the outs. Though company executives talked for years about transforming from a traditional telecom to a technology company, Lumen’s strategy was – to put it kindly – an enigma to analysts and investors alike. And the promised turnaround failed to materialize as the company battled declines in its legacy business segments.

When Johnson, a former Microsoft executive, took the helm in late 2022, things quickly felt different. Not only did she lean into hard changes – like cutting the dividend and reallocating capital from less successful initiatives to strengthen its core fiber backbone – but Johnson also articulated a new vision for the company – not just to investors but also employees. 

Soon after, the AI wave broke, setting the stage for Lumen to conveniently pitch itself as THE network needed to support the tech. A big Microsoft partnership and $5 billion worth of AI networking contracts later and voila. The tide has turned.

As telcos the world over grapple with AI, we set out to learn more about what went into developing Johnson’s strategy for the company, how AI is shaping its plans, and how Lumen is hoping to defend its position against fast followers to its playbook.

Find out what she had to say here:

This podcast is written and hosted by Diana Goovaerts. It is edited by Diana Goovaerts and Matt Rickman. Liz Coyne is our executive producer.

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