The intelligence of our mobile phones is increasing, but what about the telecom networks they use?
Apple was the most recent mobile phone company to declare that it will be integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the operating system of its devices.
Known as Apple Intelligence, it attempts to make phones faster and easier to use. It is also included in the Siri chatbot on the phones. and enhance Siri’s role as a personal assistant.
It comes after Google’s Gemini AI for its Pixel smartphones and Samsung’s Galaxy AI.
Due to the rising use of AI, phones will be producing and consuming a lot more data due to their greater computing power. The UK’s O2, EE, Vodafone, and Three mobile phone networks will be under increased pressure.
Telecom companies like these are also progressively implementing AI to help them adapt, according to Ian Fogg, director of network innovation at research company CCS Insight.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used by network operators to dynamically control radio frequencies to deliver the best possible service. Additionally, to control cell towers so that, during periods of less demand, they consume less energy.
“The use of AI to manage mobile phone networks has grown significantly and is now widely used worldwide. AI-enabled network monitoring has made it possible for Korea Telecom to locate and fix problems in South Korea in under a minute, according to Alex Sinclair, chief technology officer of the GSMA, an organization that represents international mobile operators.
In the meantime, AT&T in the US uses AI algorithms that are predictive and have been trained on trillions of prior network alerts to tell it when anything is about to go wrong.
AI digital twins, which are virtualized digital copies of real-world hardware like masts and antennas, are being used by other operators, like Vodafone, to continuously monitor network performance.
AI is also being used to optimize storage capacity and control the energy consumption of ever-larger data centers to keep their computers cool.
Telecom companies throughout the world are also investing in so-called 5G Standalone mobile networks due to the explosion of data that results from the growing use of AI. Instead of partially depending on improving the outdated, less effective 4G system, these make use of brand-new, specialized 5G infrastructure.
Significantly faster and more capacity is provided by 5G Standalone. However, other experts think that even this more advanced technology won’t be enough to meet the demands of the AI future.
For instance, several experts claimed that AI won’t be able to realize its full potential until the deployment of 6G starting in 2028 during this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Even while mobile users typically only become aware of the network when something goes wrong, they are far more conscious of poor customer service and the harm it can do to a brand’s reputation.
Thus, the sector is likewise hopeful that AI would significantly enhance how they communicate with and assist clients.
For instance, the goal of the Global Telco AI Alliance, a joint venture with 1.3 billion customers in 50 countries comprised of Deutsche Telekom, e&, Singtel, Softbank, and SK Telecom, is to create an AI chatbot that is especially suited to the telecom industry and the kinds of questions that consumers usually ask.
The founders of the Alliance anticipate that this carefully trained chatbot will be able to handle the majority of simple consumer inquiries, freeing up call center employees to focus on more complicated instances.
Tobi, Vodafone’s digital assistant, engages with over 40 million users monthly in 13 countries and 15 languages. To enhance customer service, Vodafone has partnered with Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service.
Tobi’s profitability and reputation are expected to benefit from fewer complaints, which arises from its increased ability to handle consumer inquiries without the need for human assistance.
“Our primary view of AI is as a “virtual assistant” for people,” says Vodafone’s chief technology officer, Scott Petty. “With AI, Vodafone employees can now focus on more creative tasks that benefit our customers and the environment instead of wasting their time on repetitive, tedious manual labor.”
He contends that AI also frees up customer reps to take on more complicated problems. Additionally, Vodafone claims that Azure OpenAI is making it easier for users to locate what they’re searching for on its websites. According to preliminary data, the number of successful online customer journeys completed has doubled, and follow-up calls have decreased by 10%.
As mundane duties are being automated by software, many observers fear that AI could result in enormous job losses in the telecom sector. However, Mr. Sinclair of GSMA thinks AI could really be liberating, especially for lower-income countries.
He contends that “AI will give emerging markets a specialized tool to help them catch up.” “We support efforts to democratize AI so that its use isn’t limited to the wealthy.”His tone is more upbeat because he feels that some of the fear-mongering around AI has been exaggerated.
Ian Fogg of CCS Insight has expressed a similar opinion: “AI has been around for some years, used for specific [telecoms] cases.” However, it’s currently being used in a lot more domains, including networks, devices, and software, so any tool we use might improve significantly.”
The world could become more efficient and networks greener with the help of AI.”
