Digitally Curious
Digitally Curious is a show all about the near-term future with actionable advice from a range of global experts. Order the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order
Who is your host, Andrew Grill? He’s the AI expert who speaks your business language. After 30+ years building tech solutions at companies like IBM and a range of high-tech startups, Andrew now helps executives navigate AI without getting lost in the complexity.
He has held senior leadership roles, including Global Managing Partner at IBM, and has collaborated with C-suite teams from organisations such as Shell, Vodafone, Dell, SAP Concur, Nike, Nestlé, and the NHS.
Andrew has delivered 600+ keynotes in over 50 countries on topics such as generative AI, quantum computing, digital transformation, and the future of work.
Ranked among the world’s top 10 futurist speakers and a finalist for AI Expert of the Year, in 2025, he was recognised on the AI 100 UK List as one of the country’s leading voices in responsible Artificial Intelligence.
He is the author of Digitally Curious (2024), a bestselling guide to navigating the future of AI and technology, and host of the Digitally Curious Podcast (since 2019), where he translates complex trends into actionable insights.
Andrew is a regular media commentator, featured on BBC Television & Radio, Sky News, LBC, and in publications such as the Financial Times, The Guardian, and The Economist.
Find out more about Andrew at actionablefuturist.com
Digitally Curious
S5 Episode 9: Shahid Ahmed from NTT on the opportunities for Private 5G networks
5G networks are all about speed and capacity, so private 5G networks are just a closed version of the same - right? Think again. Private wireless networks are on the rise, and to find out more, I spoke with Shahid Ahmed, Group EVP of New Ventures and Innovation at NTT, on the latest Actionable Futurist Podcast.
He is responsible for driving new digital experiences, offerings and technologies that create growth and transform people’s lives and companies and brings over 25 years of experience leading large services businesses with a focus on business transformation.
In this show, we looked at several issues, including:
• The difference between public and private 5G networks
• The strengths of WiFi vs Private 5G
• The opportunity for edge computing and 5G services
• How NTT drives innovation
• The power of a distributed workforce
5G private networks won’t replace WiFi but will deliver new services in locations and industries requiring increased security and control.
NTT surveyed 200 CIOs within the industrial manufacturing and automotive sectors, and they cited that the reason for deploying private 5G networks was not because of latency and speed but because of the inherent need for security and control.
More on Shahid
Shahid on LinkedIn
NTT Global on Twitter
NTT at Mobile World Congress 2023
Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order
Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com
Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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