Athul Prasad Elected Vice Chair of AI-RAN Alliance

Prasad's appointment reinforces Cloudera's leadership in advancing the convergence of AI, data and next-generation telecommunications

SAN JOSE, Calif. - August 25, 2026 - Cloudera, the only company bringing AI to data anywhere, today announced that Dr. Athul Prasad, Global Director, AI Industry Solutions Telecoms, Media & Entertainment at Cloudera, has been elected Vice Chair of Working Group 3 (WG3) within the AI-RAN Alliance for the 2026-2028 term. The appointment reflects Cloudera's growing leadership within the telecommunications ecosystem and its commitment to advancing AI-native networks that can deliver new services and experiences at the network edge.

Cloudera joined the AI-RAN Alliance in June 2025, becoming part of a global consortium of telecommunications, technology and AI leaders working to integrate AI into telecommunications infrastructure - bringing its expertise in scalable data management, edge-to-AI orchestration and hybrid AI to help advance AI-native telecommunications. At Cloudera, Prasad leads AI industry solutions for telecommunications, media and entertainment, helping providers turn complex network data into scalable AI applications. He previously held leadership roles within WG3 while at Samsung, bringing deep experience at the intersection of AI and next-generation communications. His election as Vice Chair strengthens Cloudera's role in shaping AI-RAN and advancing new AI-powered applications and services at the network edge.

Prasad's appointment comes at a critical time for the telecommunications industry as operators look to translate ambitious AI strategies into real-world network deployments. Cloudera's Data Readiness Index 2026 found that 90% of telecommunications leaders say infrastructure performance issues have restricted operational goals, while 60% cannot access the data needed to support strategic initiatives. Overcoming these barriers requires collaboration across the telecommunications, AI and data ecosystems-one of the core objectives of the AI-RAN Alliance as it works to develop shared approaches, architectures and proof points for deploying AI reliably at scale.

"AI-RAN has the potential to fundamentally change what telecommunications networks can deliver, but realizing that potential requires the industry to solve complex challenges spanning data, AI and network infrastructure together," said Athul Prasad, Global Director, AI Industry Solutions Telecoms, Media & Entertainment at Cloudera. "As Vice Chair of WG3, I look forward to working alongside fellow AI-RAN Alliance members to address the data, infrastructure and orchestration challenges that stand in the way of AI at scale. By bringing AI closer to where network data is generated, we can help define the architectures and approaches needed to power intelligent, adaptive networks and unlock new services and experiences for customers."

To learn more about Cloudera's role in the AI-RAN Alliance and how it's enabling next-generation telecommunications, visit www.cloudera.com/solutions/telecommunications.html.

About Cloudera

Cloudera is the only hybrid data and AI platform company that large organizations trust to bring AI to their data anywhere it lives. Unlike other providers, Cloudera delivers a consistent cloud experience that converges public clouds, on-prem data centers, sovereign clouds, and the edge, leveraging a proven open-source foundation. As the pioneer in big data, Cloudera empowers businesses to apply AI and assert control over 100% of their data, in all forms, improving security, governance, and real-time and predictive insights. The world's largest brands across all industries rely on Cloudera to transform decision-making and ultimately boost bottom lines, safeguard against threats, and save lives.

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