What’s new in the Communications Utility Network Foundation

ArcGIS Solutions helps you make the most of your GIS by providing purpose-driven, industry-specific configurations of ArcGIS.

In September 2026, Esri released Communications Utility Network Foundation version 2.0. This represents a significant update that includes a new data model built using the telecom domain network, along with updated maps, workflows, and documentation.

If you’re new to the solution, here’s a quick overview: The Communications Utility Network Foundation accelerates utility network implementation for telecommunications organizations by providing a preconfigured data model, styles, and map. Like all Esri’s solutions, Communications Utility Network Foundation is fully supported and included with your ArcGIS Online subscription or ArcGIS Enterprise licensing at no additional cost.

Designed for the Telecom Domain Network

Introduced in the September 2026 ArcGIS Solutions release, this update expands the Utility Network’s capabilities for modeling and managing telecommunications networks. It is designed to handle the complexities of managing large numbers of features and to support advanced circuit modeling.

Version 2.0 of the Communications Utility Network Foundation is built on the new telecom domain network rather than a traditional domain network. This change helps organizations model how modern communications networks are built and operated. It also supports network analysis to meet telecommunications needs while improving system performance.

More than 200 participants helped test and refine the version 2.0 data model through Esri’s Early Access Community. Their involvement helped improve the data model and user experience.

Designed for modern communications networks

Modern communications networks combine fiber, coax, copper, and wireless infrastructure to deliver services. The Communications Utility Network Foundation supports this combination rather than focusing on a single network type. Its flexible framework allows organizations to model communications infrastructure and connectivity, represent assets and relationships consistently, and support a wide range of operational workflows as networks evolve.

Support for circuit modeling

Beyond physical connectivity, communications organizations need to understand the services running across their infrastructure. Version 2.0 introduces support for circuit modeling and management, with capabilities for network diagrams, path tracing, circuit assignment status, and leased capacity.

These capabilities help organizations understand how services traverse physical infrastructure, providing a foundation for service-oriented workflows.

Updated documentation and resources

The Communications Utility Network Foundation includes more than just a data model. It also provides a comprehensive set of tools and resources to help you implement, configure, and manage your network:

• Step-by-step workflows in the documentation
• Sample data to help you learn key processes and test workflows
• A data dictionary to explore and understand the model structure
• Preconfigured map and symbology to get you or your organization running faster

Learn More

The latest release of the Communications Utility Network Foundation represents an important step forward for managing modern communications networks with ArcGIS. Explore the resources below to learn more about the solution and get started.

• Learn how to deploy, configure, and use the solution.
• Learn more about ArcGIS Solutions.