AI In Telecom: Intelligent Operations is the New Norm

The move towards an intelligent world is faster and more rapid than it ever was before. The increase in this transition has been propagated through the role of several high key stakeholders that have redefined the way we look at technology. One of the key players in this transition is Huawei. 

Huawei’s recent UBBF conference held in Hangzhou on October 18-19 was a step towards awareness in this regard. Being personally present at this conference, there were numerous intakes that I noted down and would like to present to my readers. 

An Intelligent World

One cannot stay oblivious to the fact that we are indeed moving towards an intelligent world. The world of the future is being propelled through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Both these technologies conflate to form the basis of numerous intelligent technologies that help make life easier for us. A few of these developments that affect the usage of Telecom networks substantially are:

• Smart Homes: Through the use of AI or the Internet of Things (IoT), as it is known in more common language, the concept of Smart Homes is spreading at a rapid pace. We have homes where we can monitor and control things as minute as the cooling through the AC and as important as the security of our assets. The role of video in this revolution cannot be compromised, as video ensures the effectiveness of most of the data that is being used here. 
• Smart Buildings: Smart Buildings is another concept that makes the future more secure and peaceful for the average user. Smart Buildings are also influenced by the use of analytics garnered through data from videos. 
• Self-Driving Cars: Self Driving cars are already on the roads and are nothing but the pinnacle of how AI can augment us in doing routine tasks. Self Driving cars make life easier for all drivers and also suggest that accidents due to neglect on our parts may decrease during the future. 
• Smart Cities: All the effectiveness and efficiency garnered through the intelligence in AI and ML would eventually lead to the creation of Smart Cities. The concept of Smart Cities is already envisioned by thought leaders such as Huawei. An example of life within Smart Cities would be that of an efficient traffic management system. The current traffic system within metropolitan cities leaves much to be desired. With the implementation of intelligence in traffic control, we will experience better management when it comes to traffic. 

With this wave towards a smarter society in general, everything is interconnected to generate data. The data that is generated through this interconnection would then be used to set the base for the system to be followed in the smart society. 

Growth in the Use of Video 

Another point discussed in great detail during the conference was the increasing role of video as the major Internet traffic driver. Internet traffic is increasing by the minute, but another factor within that is experiencing smart growth is that of the video. Such is the scope of this growth that it has been called the Smart Video Revolution. The growth is expected to go into the next year as experts have predicted that video traffic will be 80 percent of all Internet traffic during the year 2019. 

While this rapid growth indicates numerous possibilities, it also presents challenges for Telco operators. Can this high demand for video be catered to by all Telco operators? This growth in the use of video will among many other things require the presence of smart homes and smart buildings; for this, video quality needs to grow drastically. This growth in technology can only be experienced through the use of Virtual Reality and 4k and 8k technology. Telco operators would have to meet this demand for better video quality through provision of better and quality data. Other than providing data with better quality, most of the traffic on the Internet will be directed towards videos. Customers have shown a fondness for video and Telco operators need to realise that it is now or never.

To fit in this wave of technology, Telcos would have to change the way they operate. Sticking with the traditional methods means that they would be unable to feed the users’ hunger for data and better quality. The call of the day is to innovate along with the passage of time. These innovations are something that was talked about in the conference and I will also be delving on them later on in this article. 

How Could Efficient Internet Solutions Save Costs? 

The Industrial Internet of Things has been called the future of technology, but the truth behind claims regarding costs savings is still doubted. One major question in the mind of all users is regarding what these solutions are doing and what they could do to provide miraculous cost savings in the major industries. Notable speakers at the Huawei UBBF conference delved into these cost savings and presented the impact of this in the industries. One percent of savings from efficient use of Internet solutions in numerous industries can translate into the following cost savings:

 Source: Industrial Internet: Pushing the Boundaries: Evans & Annuziata.

There is no doubt in my mind and the mind of many others that this move towards these Internet solutions should not be hindered or stopped due to any reasons, especially with the monetary gains that are expected. What this means is that we now have added pressure on Telco operator’s to deliver, or to be a hindrance in the way of what can be called the smart revolution. 

Why Telco Operators Should Use AI and ML to Optimize Their Work 

The only reasonable course of action is for Telco operators to implement AI and ML to get the most out of the smart revolution. A famous quote going around is that Data is the next oil. But, how could something so common be given such a high monetary value? It is indeed AI that is the oil for the future. The use of AI will provide data with the identity it needs. For Telco operators, the solution to the problem lies in grasping AI and ML and meeting the needs of the future through unparalleled technology. 

David Wang from Huawei emphasised on this during the UBBF Conference and mentioned that it is imperative for Telecom operators to become intelligent. The responsibility of following the road to Intelligence falls upon all Telecom operators. David Wang stressed that the road to network intelligence has three steps that should be adhered to if success is to be achieved. Telecom operators should preferably follow a model that is: 

1. Automatic: They should be able to transition from an order-driven approach to a model-driven approach. 
2. Adaptive: Deep analysis should form the key to move from open-loop to closed-loop. 
3. Autonomous: Implementation of self-learning to move from a static policy towards a phase of enhanced self-learning and implementation

The world is progressing towards the video revolution and the intelligence of Telecom operators will feed this revolution. The Intelligence should be present at all stage of the operations, service provisioning and maintenance. The presence of intelligence, through AI and ML, in telecom will ensure that intelligent operations become the new norm in the future.