AT&T has become far more than an advanced deployer of new network technologies – increasingly it is defining standards for the whole industry in a way that used to be the preserve of vendors or a few Asian operators. In recent weeks, it has made several announcements which may prove significant for the wider industry, not just AT&T. Its expanded alliance with China Telecom could have a significant impact on flexible business services; its Vyatta acquisition will bolster its network operating system and white box routers; and it is about to embark on its first tests with Cloud-RAN, a technology it has acknowledged will be the most challenging element of the network to virtualize. The operator has already contributed its…