Network automation and self-healing networks, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), are transforming the telecommunications landscape. The new imperative nowadays is for telcos to become cloud and AI-first organizations, with the ambition to AI-power everything, everywhere, requiring them to carefully select where to start and how to prioritize.
AI-Driven Network Optimization
AI algorithms, at present, analyze real-time data to balance network capacity and coverage, ensuring optimal performance and efficient utilization of resources. The next frontier, according to Mounir Ladki, President and CTO, Mycom, involves "agentic architectures," which enhance large language models (LLMs) conducting telecom-specific tasks, driving automation and achieving autonomous networks. He emphasized the importance of such networks in advancing services like slicing and specialized connectivity, as they play a much broader role as decision facilitators, providing semantic understanding.
More importantly, by leveraging machine learning (ML), AI-driven networks can predict equipment failures before they occur, allowing for proactive maintenance and reducing downtime. This approach is utilized by telecom operators to automate network maintenance and ensure zero downtime.
Thailand’s AIS is leveraging AI-driven analytics to enhance its fixed broadband services, prioritizing quality and performance. By improving service delivery, the company ensures a seamless user experience through predictive maintenance and tailored broadband solutions.
From a wholesale perspective, Obaid Rahman, Head of International Wholesale, du, underscored that AI can be leveraged to optimize cooling efficiency, resource allocation, predictive maintenance, capacity planning, and cybersecurity, within data centers, among other assets. “AI superimposed on a software-defined network (SDN) is going to be a game changer for us. I am quite optimistic about AI applications within our wholesale sector in how we utilize it going forward,” he noted.
As for Mobily, one of the early adopters of AI, CTO, Alaa Malki, affirmed that they put a lot of emphasis on data analysis and AI technologies, which play a crucial role in the company’s digital transformation. To stay on top, Mobily constantly looks for ways to improve their services and customer experience, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. One of their successful AI projects included the implementation of a predictive maintenance system called ‘cognitive network’ during the Hajj 2024 season, which reduced downtime and maintenance time.
Autonomous Network Operations
AI also enables networks to detect, diagnose, and resolve issues autonomously, often before they impact users. This self-healing approach enhances network resilience and efficiency.
Najla Al Kaabi, Head of AI (Acting) at du told Telecom Review that they have developed a roadmap of AI use cases, including a significant initiative to predict customer complaints arising from technical and network issues. This use case aims to enable a proactive approach by alerting operations and network custodians to potential problems before they trigger customer complaints.
Our goal is to achieve self-awareness and self-healing capabilities within the network to improve customer experiences swiftly and effectively.
Ladki opined that the industry's goal is to progress from the current tiered autonomous networks to self-healing, fully autonomous networks capable of transforming business intent into technical implementation. During Q4, 2024, MYCOM OSI introduced new features and capabilities to support autonomous networks, along with enhanced AI-driven tools for managing the performance of 5G RAN and network slices.
In alignment with this, Dalia Nabil, Head of Presales, Business Applications, MEA, Nokia, stated that deploying automation and AI to respond to business intent will be foundational to CSPs (communications service providers) when it comes to addressing challenges and unlocking their networks' actual value.
Nokia’s assurance portfolio leverages AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations), machine learning, and automation to streamline network and service operations. By utilizing predictive key performance indicators (KPIs), anomaly detection, and closed-loop intelligent automation, it enhances efficiency, agility, and overall operational performance.
Nokia also launched the first operational technology (OT)-compliant generative AI (GenAI) solution tailored for connected workers. MX Workmate empowers industrial workers to seamlessly interact with complex machines, access real-time status updates, and ultimately enhances productivity, sustainability, and worker safety.
Patrick Johansson, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, agrees that AI-driven, intent-based networking further enhances efficiency by enabling rapid, automated service deployments for new businesses or services.
With this in mind, Centers of Excellence (COEs) play a crucial role in telecom by stimulating innovation, streamlining operations, and accelerating the adoption of AI-driven solutions. These hubs enable telecom operators to enhance network performance, optimize service delivery, and drive digital transformation.
Recognizing the importance of AI in shaping the future of telecom, the UAE has launched key COEs to drive industry-wide advancements. Established in 2022, the e& enterprise AI Centre of Excellence aims to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s leadership in AI by building a robust ecosystem of talent, startups, and investment firms to scale cutting-edge AI solutions. In 2024, du and AWS collaborated to create a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) in the UAE, focusing on developing best practices, governance policies, and AI-driven innovations to enhance telecom capabilities.
2025 Outlook
According to AWS, in 2025, operators will have to prove long-term ROI (return on investment) and demonstrate the value of their generative AI production deployments prior to implementation. “The aim is to create a flywheel effect that helps scale the return on the necessary investments in the platforms, skills, and partnerships, while optimizing costs and keeping output performance, compliance, and quality high,” wrote the company.
Truly, as industries become more interconnected, telecom operators have a prime opportunity to foster synergy, innovation, and growth. “Telcos have the technology, the expertise, and the infrastructure,” Marco Lichtfous, Managing Director of PMP Strategy Luxembourg, explained.
What’s missing is the willingness to step forward as solution providers, not just enablers.
By expanding beyond traditional networks and embracing AI-driven ecosystems, the industry can unlock new revenue streams and solidify its role as a key driver of global digital transformation.
Through AI, 5G-Advanced, and cloud technologies, carriers can transition from traditional service providers to innovative techcos. Through servitization, platformization, and intelligization, Huawei’s Techco 1.0 offers a strategic path for telecom carriers to thrive in an increasingly connected world, setting the stage for a resilient, tech-driven future in telecommunications.
As AI-driven telecom networks continue to evolve, the rise of artificial superintelligence (ASI) is becoming a closer reality. This transformation demands a responsible approach to AI that ensures innovation aligns with ethical standards, security measures, and regulatory frameworks. By fostering collaboration among government bodies, private entities, and the public, the industry can harness AI’s full potential while mitigating risks, shaping a future where intelligent networks drive seamless, secure, and sustainable connectivity.
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