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Telecom operators are under pressure to move toward autonomous operations, and TM Forum has published a set of related assets to support that journey: ANL, ANLET, and ANLAV. This introductory article breaks down what each term means, and how they fit together, so that telecom leaders and network architects know exactly which one to reach for.

ANL: The Framework That Defines Network Autonomy Levels 

ANL stands for Autonomous Network Levels. It is the classification model published by TM Forum that defines six levels of network autonomy, from Level 0 to Level 5. Each level describes a different balance between human control and system autonomy. 

• Level 0, Manual Management: The system offers assisted monitoring only. Every dynamic task is still executed by hand.
• Level 1, Assisted Management: The system automates certain repetitive sub-tasks based on pre-configuration, improving execution efficiency.
• Level 2, Partially Autonomous Networks: The system runs partial automatic operations and maintenance for specific units, based on pre-defined rules or policies, in known external conditions.
• Level 3, Conditionally Autonomous Networks: Building on Level 2, the system senses real-time environmental changes and can optimize itself within certain network domains.
• Level 4, Highly Autonomous Networks: Building on Level 3, the system handles more complex, cross-domain environments and makes predictive, closed-loop decisions driven by service and customer experience.
• Level 5, Fully Autonomous Networks: The end goal of telecom network evolution; closed-loop automation across every service, every domain, and the full lifecycle. 

(Source: Autonomous Networks Framework v2.0.0 (IG1218F), TM Forum)

ANL also introduces the IAADE loop: Intention, Awareness, Analysis, Decision, and Execution. This closed-loop view makes it easier to judge whether a given process is still human-led or has genuinely become autonomous.

💡 Use ANL when you need a shared vocabulary for describing autonomy maturity, internally or with vendors and partners. On its own, ANL is a classification system. It does not tell you where your network currently sits. That is the job of ANLET.

ANLET: The Tool That Measures Your Network Autonomy Level 

ANLET stands for Autonomous Network Level Evaluation Tool. If ANL is the scale, ANLET is the instrument that reads it. 

Evaluating an ANL score is not straightforward. Many CSPs face inconsistent tooling, uneven internal standards, and no repeatable way to assess their own progress. Without a structured method, it is hard to know your current capability, compare it against peers, or identify the next concrete step. ANLET solves this by assessing network capabilities against the ANL model and producing a defensible autonomy score. 

Instead of labeling a network “automated” or “autonomous” in vague terms, ANLET gives operators a specific ANL classification and a score and a clear picture of what is required to move up a level. That turns autonomy from an aspiration into something you can plan against, budget for, and track over time. It also creates a common language across the organization: network engineers, operations teams, architects, and business leaders can align around the same result instead of debating definitions. 

Self-assessment vs. third-party assessment 

ANLET can be run in two ways: self-assessment and third-party assessment.

Self-assessment:

A certified professional inside the organization, who holds the relevant TM Forum certifications, runs the evaluation internally. 

• Strengths: lower cost, could be faster to schedule, uses people who already know the network’s history and context.
• Trade-offs: internal assessors can be closer to the systems being scored, which makes an unbiased result harder to guarantee. Results also carry less external credibility with boards, regulators, or investors, since there is no independent check on the evidence behind the score.

Third-party assessment:

An external consultancy certified for ANLET runs the evaluation. 

• Strengths: an independent, benchmarkable result; exposure to how other operators are scored, which sharpens the gap analysis; a report that carries more weight with leadership and external stakeholders.
• Trade-offs: higher cost and a ramp-up period for the external team to learn the network.

Operators do not have to choose only one. Running both a self-assessment and a third-party assessment, and comparing the two, is a valid way to stress-test the result before committing to a transformation roadmap.

💡 Use ANLET when you need an actual, evidence-based ANL score for your network. 

ANLAV: The Independent Validation of Your Network Autonomy Level 

ANLAV stands for Autonomous Network Levels Assessment Validation. Where ANLET produces a score, ANLAV checks that the score was produced correctly. 

ANLAV is a TM Forum service that validates whether an ANL assessment was carried out according to the published methodology in IG1252 (Autonomous Network Levels Evaluation Methodology), using the standardized GB1059 ANL Evaluation Tool, and confirms that the evidence submitted actually supports the ANL score being claimed. 

ANLAV is applied on top of ANLET results, regardless of whether the underlying assessment was a self-assessment or run by a third-party consultancy. It is the audit layer, not a replacement for the assessment itself.

💡 Use ANLAV when the ANL score needs to withstand external scrutiny, for example when it will support a major investment case, a regulatory submission, or a public claim about your network’s autonomy level.

A Shoutout to AOMM 

AOMM, the Autonomous Operations Maturity Model, is a related but distinct assessment. Where ANLET gives a sharp, network-specific reading of ANL progression, AOMM measures an organization’s overall readiness to adopt and scale autonomous operating models across its value streams. It looks at people, process, and organizational structure, not just the network layer. Learn more here: Getting started with AOMM.

Choosing What’s Right For You! 

• Need a shared vocabulary for autonomy maturity across your organization? Refer to ANL.
• Need to know your actual current score and what it will take to move up a level? Run ANLET.
• Need that score to hold up under external scrutiny? Run ANLAV.
• Need to know if the rest of the organization, people, process, and operating model, is ready to act on that score? Bring in AOMM.
• Need help to decide? That’s why we’re here! Contact Makman, your autonomous operations transformation partner, for a complimentary consultation.