UbuntuNet Alliance is pleased to invite members of the research and education networking community to an upcoming webinar hosted in partnership with Core2Africa and Kentik, focusing on the future of AI-powered network intelligence for National Research and Education Networks (NRENs).
The webinar will take place on 29 May 2026 at 11:00 AM CAT and will bring together network engineering and infrastructure experts to discuss how advanced observability, automation, and AI-driven analytics can help NRENs navigate increasingly complex network environments.
As research and education networks continue to experience rapid growth in AI-driven traffic, rising utilisation demands, and increasing service expectations from member institutions, the need for intelligent, scalable, and cost-efficient network operations has never been greater. This session will showcase how leading organisations such as GÉANT are leveraging Kentik’s network intelligence platform to improve visibility, accelerate troubleshooting, optimise capacity planning, and enhance service delivery.
The webinar will feature:
- Jac Kloots, Solutions Engineer at Kentik, who brings more than 20 years of experience across network engineering, operations, and product management, including extensive work within the NREN community.
- Stanley Freiman, Group CEO of Core2Africa, a veteran Internet infrastructure expert with decades of experience building IP networks across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Participants will gain insights into how Kentik’s AI-powered tools can help network teams:
- Simplify operational complexity through a unified network intelligence platform
- Use natural-language AI queries to investigate and resolve issues faster
- Improve network performance using proactive synthetic testing and modern monitoring
- Develop actionable peering and transit strategies
- Better understand and model connectivity costs
- Deliver enhanced visibility and reporting services to member institutions
The session will also include demonstrations of Kentik’s AI Advisor, automated traffic engineering capabilities, and advanced cost and capacity planning workflows tailored to the needs of research and education networks.
UbuntuNet Alliance is also pleased to note that both Core2Africa and Kentik will participate in the upcoming UbuntuNet Connect 2026 conference, where attendees will have further opportunities to engage with the organisations and explore collaborative opportunities around advanced network operations and infrastructure visibility.
The webinar forms part of the UbuntuNet Alliance Partnership Programme, which seeks to foster collaboration between industry innovators and the African research and education networking community to advance digital infrastructure and services across the continent.