While the road to 5G adoption is progressing at a more steady pace than initially expected, we’re seeing a notable resurgence of 5G competition among carrier leaders. Despite the rapid start of his 5G deployment by major providers, the pursuit of transformative use cases has been slow. Notably, private 5G networks are currently gaining traction, indicating that the landscape is evolving on the 5G journey.
Precedence Research predicts that the global market for enterprise 5G applications will grow from $3.71 billion in 2023 to $47.07 billion by 2032. The combination of increased customer demand and new digital solutions that make it easier to build, launch, and manage 5G networks is already driving this change.
Current status of 5G networks
The biggest challenge facing 5G is its status as a “nice-to-have” rather than a “must-have” in the minds of digital service providers (DSPs). The potential to drive faster and better connectivity and open the door to new revenue streams is clear, but there is a lack of clear consumer use cases and a lack of focus on more urgent business priorities. Combined with parallel growth, 5G expansion plans have been put on the back burner. These changes in the telecommunications industry also coincided with the global pandemic and ensuing economic downturn, making DSPs a more immediate return on investment compared to the resource-intensive development of building new 5G networks. has been forced to prioritize investments in opportunities that hold promise.
Despite these challenges, 5G is poised to become a cornerstone of the evolution of the communications industry. Growth has been driven not only by large public incentives but also by the technology’s potential to generate new revenue. One of the main benefits of 5G is its ability to enable low-latency applications and provide network slicing capabilities. The latter is exemplified by the launch of Network-as-a-Service capabilities by carriers such as Lumen, which allow carriers to offer premium network services and guarantees to specific user segments. This innovative feature gives DSPs a new way to support mission-critical applications at a premium price point, opening up entirely new revenue streams. This alone makes his 5G important again for an industry struggling to find ways to increase revenue.
But taking the next step to build, operate, and maintain a 5G network is no easy task, and many struggle with traditional processes. Network management is a complex task, especially in large distributed networks, and many DSPs do not have the technology platform to efficiently design and integrate their 5G capabilities on top of their existing frameworks. . As a result, bridging this technological gap becomes a top priority.
AI and automation will be essential to building and maintaining 5G networks
It is more important than ever for providers to modernize their businesses and ensure end-to-end visibility across their networks. Telcos have traditionally used legacy systems and point solutions to manage and maintain their networks, leading to organizational silos and manual processes that make integrating 5G capabilities into networks cumbersome and sometimes difficult. had become impossible. Comprehensive modernization is not only a strategic imperative, but also a practical necessity. This enables providers to quickly adapt to the demands of an evolving technological environment and provide seamless and efficient services to their customers.
Automation and generative AI are emerging as pivotal technological advancements that will revolutionize the DSP operating environment. By automating processes such as inventory updates, new orders, and customer requests, carriers can ensure that different departments in the organization, from network engineers to customer service agents, have the most accurate information possible. can. Automation and AI solutions can also be used to optimize processes and proactively detect challenges. This enables carriers to cost-effectively manage significantly larger and more complex networks without sacrificing accuracy or stability.
Specifically, generative AI will be used for a variety of key use cases across core communications domains, including optimizing network investments, getting products to market faster, improving customer and agent experiences, and reducing time to resolution. can.
In addition to modernizing their network management processes, network operators will need to seamlessly integrate new spectrum into their networks and ensure that customers investing in premium network access can enjoy the 5G performance they expect. facing challenges. Doing this effectively often requires new skills within operations teams to understand and manage the modernized network. This dynamic situation also brings about the arrival of his redefined ROI. This is where it becomes essential to use technologies like Generative AI to gain organizational intelligence to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and services.
Combining the power of generative AI and modern workflow solutions gives operators the instrumental ability to navigate these complexities. Modern AI-powered tools allow engineers to search knowledge bases and case studies, see trends, and quickly and accurately optimize and manage network evolution. In doing so, carriers not only build network resilience but also solidify their position at the forefront of technological innovation.
Generative AI also streamlines customer service processes, assisting agents with real-time advice and recommendations during customer interactions, and providing next steps to resolve issues through automated summaries after a case is closed or progressed. You can also recommend good actions. These features further enhance the capabilities of DSPs to serve a growing number of customers with incredible efficiency.
Build your path to 5G success
The business environment for DSPs is complicated by a complex interplay of competing technological advances and financial constraints. However, more businesses are returning to 5G due to improved network speeds, the need for more network resiliency, and the revenue potential. This transition is multifaceted, but the thread that ties it all together is the pivotal role of AI and its intelligence in dealing with complexity.
Adopting technology solutions that focus on breaking down silos and increasing network visibility across the business is critical to realizing the potential of 5G and moving away from the industry’s traditional approach to network management is. Telecommunications companies need to take advantage of new ways of working. By fostering an environment of resilience, transparency, and a great customer service experience, the industry can pave the way for sustainable growth and realize the full potential of 5G.
