The telecommunications industry is undergoing transformation
Applications of artificial intelligence are transforming how telecoms operate, optimize, and provide service to their customers
Currently, communications service providers (CSPs) are facing increasing client demands for more excellent services and improved customer experiences (CX). Utilizing the enormous amounts of data collected by organizations over the years from their huge client base, organizations are taking advantage of these opportunities.
Data on gadgets, networks, mobile applications, geolocations, client profiles, services usage, and billing is pulled from all of these sources. Artificial intelligence is used by top telecom companies to analyze large volumes of data to extract insights that will improve customer experiences, improve operations, and increase revenue through new products and services.
In our quest to understand how artificial intelligence is affecting business, we should explore some of the leading business trends: network optimization, preventive maintenance, and virtual assistants.
- Network Optimization
Artificial intelligence is fundamental to helping CSPs build self-optimizing networks (SONs), where administrators can automatically optimize network quality based on traffic data by region and time zone.
Applications of artificial intelligence are being used in the telecommunications industry to discover patterns and anomalies in data, enabling network administrators to proactively resolve issues before clients are negatively affected.
The number of CSPs investing in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to improve their infrastructure planning, operation, and products will rise from 30% in 2020 to 70% in 2025, according to Gartner.
Several AI solutions are well known –
- ZBrain Cloud Management from ZeroStack examines private cloud telemetry storage and use for capacity planning, updates, and general administration;
- Aria Networks, an AI-based network optimization company with a growing number of Tier-1 organizations as clients, and
- The NetFusion service from Sedona Systems enables the precise routing of traffic and the delivery of AR/VR services powered by 5G.
- Nokia deployed the AI-based AVA platform, an automated network management solution that is aimed at assisting CSPs in automating network operations and delivering quality service.
- Predictive Maintenance
Using data, modern algorithms, and AI methods to predict future outcomes based on historical data, artificial intelligence-driven predictive analytics is perhaps the most recent trend that assists telecoms with offering better services.
Ultimately, telecoms can use data-driven bits of knowledge to monitor the condition of gear, predict failure based on patterns, and proactively fix issues with communications equipment, for example, cell towers, electrical cables, data center servers, and surprisingly home set-top boxes.
The improvement in root cause driver analysis and prediction of issues will be enabled for the time being by network automation and insight. Over the long run, these technologies will support more vital goals, such as managing business demands and creating better client experiences.
Predictive maintenance is being used by the following companies:
- With the help of artificial intelligence, AT&T can more efficiently manage events from start to finish by incrementally identifying network issues. Using the technology, 15 million alerts can be addressed each day, restoring service before clients notice a problem. In addition to augmenting maintenance procedures, the organization relies on AI. Drones can be used to expand the LTE network coverage and for technical and infrastructure support of the telecom giant’s cell towers by analyzing video data captured by the drones.
- KPN, in collaboration with Accenture, is using super high-quality cameras that are utilizing 5G to scan and analyze wide areas of connected piping progressively, detecting areas at high risk for corrosion and determining the best remedial actions for them.
- Virtual Assistants
As conversational AI platforms – also known as virtual assistants – have figured out how to automate and scale one-on-one conversations so efficiently, the market is expected to grow to $13.9 billion by 2025, an annual growth rate of 21.9%.
Using virtual assistants to tackle the hordes of support requests for installation, setup, troubleshooting, and maintenance, which often overwhelm client service centers, has become a trend in the telecom sector. By utilizing artificial intelligence, telecom companies can develop self-service capabilities that assist clients with installing and operating their own mobile devices.
Here are some telecom companies that use virtual assistants:
- On Vodafone’s site, Julia, an AI assistant, can take care of a range of tasks, including technical support, billing inquiries, and then sending back vital, intelligent data to Vodafone so it can take care of future demands.
- In addition, Vodafone has successfully launched TOBi – a chatbot to help customers with a range of customer service-related questions. Chatbots scale responses to basic client inquiries, ensuring clients receive the service they request in the shortest possible time.
- The chatbotTinka from Deutsche Telekom serves as a search engine tool by providing targeted assistance to clients in Austria. Tinka refers 20% of inquiries that she cannot handle to human specialists for follow-up.
- Furthermore, Deutsche Telekom relies on the recruitment chatbot[Hub:rom], an AI assistant that handles inquiries about job offers and other staffing issues.
