The Next Internet Is Coming… And It’s Smarter Than Ever
Thu Feb 05 2026
Most people assume the internet is stable, durable, and ready for whatever comes next. The truth is a bit more complicated. Modern networks were never designed for today’s scale, and for the first time we are seeing technology that can make them smarter, simpler, and far more reliable.
In this episode of IT Visionaries, host Chris Brandt talks with Anil Varanasi, CEO and Co-Founder of Meter, about how the next era of networking is taking shape. Anil explains why traditional infrastructure struggles to keep up, how a unified approach can remove layers of complexity, and why the future of the internet is moving toward faster and more resilient systems.
He also shares how natural language tools and purpose-built models are transforming the work of network engineers, and why autonomous networking may arrive sooner than most people expect. These advancements are creating a path to networks that can configure, maintain, and optimize themselves without increasing operational burden.
Key Moments:
00:00 – Why Modern Networks Are Broken
02:50 – The Pain of Multi-Vendor Sprawl
05:04 – Rebuilding the Entire Stack From Scratch
08:31 – Why Meter Refused to Ship Until It Was Great
11:39 – Hardware, Software, Delivery: A Single Platform
13:34 – No CapEx and Automatic Hardware Refresh
18:26 – How Meter Handles Growth, Migration & Space-Level Infrastructure
20:32 – The Real Reason Networks Fail (Configuration + Compatibility)
23:51 – GUI vs CLI: What Engineers Really Want
25:56 – Introducing Command: Natural-Language Networking
27:37 – Auto-Generated Dashboards and Custom Software
30:38 – Why AI Shouldn’t Be an Empty Buzzword
32:51 – Toward Fully Autonomous Networks by 2027
36:46 – The Network Engineer Shortage & What Comes Next
38:33 – What Autonomous Networking Actually Means
41:38 – Why the Internet Will Keep Growing Faster
43:02 – The Customers Who Need Meter Most
45:39 – Factory Floors, Warehouses, Data Centers, and Edge
48:32 – Nine New Hardware Platforms & Design Philosophy
52:56 – How Meter Maintains Networks Without Downtime
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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.
That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---
IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Most people assume the internet is stable, durable, and ready for whatever comes next. The truth is a bit more complicated. Modern networks were never designed for today’s scale, and for the first time we are seeing technology that can make them smarter, simpler, and far more reliable. In this episode of IT Visionaries, host Chris Brandt talks with Anil Varanasi, CEO and Co-Founder of Meter, about how the next era of networking is taking shape. Anil explains why traditional infrastructure struggles to keep up, how a unified approach can remove layers of complexity, and why the future of the internet is moving toward faster and more resilient systems. He also shares how natural language tools and purpose-built models are transforming the work of network engineers, and why autonomous networking may arrive sooner than most people expect. These advancements are creating a path to networks that can configure, maintain, and optimize themselves without increasing operational burden. Key Moments: 00:00 – Why Modern Networks Are Broken 02:50 – The Pain of Multi-Vendor Sprawl 05:04 – Rebuilding the Entire Stack From Scratch 08:31 – Why Meter Refused to Ship Until It Was Great 11:39 – Hardware, Software, Delivery: A Single Platform 13:34 – No CapEx and Automatic Hardware Refresh 18:26 – How Meter Handles Growth, Migration & Space-Level Infrastructure 20:32 – The Real Reason Networks Fail (Configuration + Compatibility) 23:51 – GUI vs CLI: What Engineers Really Want 25:56 – Introducing Command: Natural-Language Networking 27:37 – Auto-Generated Dashboards and Custom Software 30:38 – Why AI Shouldn’t Be an Empty Buzzword 32:51 – Toward Fully Autonomous Networks by 2027 36:46 – The Network Engineer Shortage & What Comes Next 38:33 – What Autonomous Networking Actually Means 41:38 – Why the Internet Will Keep Growing Faster 43:02 – The Customers Who Need Meter Most 45:39 – Factory Floors, Warehouses, Data Centers, and Edge 48:32 – Nine New Hardware Platforms & Design Philosophy 52:56 – How Meter Maintains Networks Without Downtime -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to. That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.--- IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.