In an exclusive interview with Telecom Review during the 18th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, Dr. Mahmoud Sherif, Head of Innovation and Technico Business Development at du, elaborated on how du is reshaping the digital era with its innovative propositions.
Which main enablers are driving du’s innovation?
I'd like to start by saying that innovation never sleeps. The main drivers at du have the most innovative consumer, enterprise, and digital propositions. But what do I mean by these? And what are the main enablers for these three entities that define both innovation and du?
In terms of consumers, we start with segmentation. From there, we know which segment needs what. We define the pinpoints for a certain segment and provide the best proposition for it. The same applies to enterprises.
One example is the gaming propositions for consumers. For enterprises, the mobile product network is one of the main propositions. For digital services, you can think of du Pay, which is one of the most successful fintech types of technology.
Two things are driving these innovations: leadership in 5G and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). The convergence of AI and 5G can fuel a lot of innovation in these areas.
Speaking of AI, in your opinion, what are the main areas within the telecommunications sector where AI can have a major impact?
AI is one of my favorite topics and areas I am handling at du. AI’s role within the telco industry is very important. It has six roles but is divided into two segments; three of them are purely for monetization and extracting revenue from AI usage, while the other three cater to optimization, delivering more efficiency and cost savings.
The monetization segment starts with marketing, which is a successful use case and area. Each telco should invest in utilizing AI for marketing—including customer value management (CVM) and AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS)—and on devices, as many devices can be embedded with AI.
For optimization, you have to utilize it as part of the sales channel. You can start looking at customer engagement and integrate AI-based virtual assistants. In addition, the network has a vast array of AI use cases. The other use cases include IT processing and robotic process automation.
In your opinion, what do you think are the key drivers catalyzing du’s business growth in the industry?
In terms of key drivers, the most important part is converging state-of-the-art technology with AI, which has several components. However, the most prominent are 5G-Advanced, fiber, and the extension of next-generation GPON fixed services, all of which establish the highway for AI utilization.
It is all a matter of bringing three things together using 5G-A or fiber as the highway. In addition, you have a cloud services base, with AI stacked on top. These three drivers are fueling the next generation of innovation and maintaining the telco’s relevance. Certainly, at du, we are progressing in all three areas.
Sherif at TRS-24:TRS-24 Panel Explores What AI Means for Telcos and Consumers
