Telcos are shifting to focus on autonomous operations in parallel with autonomous networks (AN) to address the immense and growing complexity of networks and to generate actionable insights that improve customer experience and the top line. This move acknowledges that ANs can only be achieved through a more integrated approach to operations, such as by leveraging AI-powered digital twins and agentic frameworks to analyse network data, predict and therefore prevent issues and automate responses across the service lifecycle. The Briefing looks at progress, challenges and potential benefits of autonomous operations, now and in future.