In a moment when new applications driven by the evolution of Artificial Intelligence and Immersive experience are becoming mainstream, and network operators need to be prepared to adjust capacity and performance in real-time, middle-mile network architecture needs to evolve to leverage the strengths and capabilities of all the network layers. In this session, we will delve into the benefits of having intelligence in the IP and optical layer supported by a multi-layer domain controller to deliver the quality of experience end users expect.