For greater than three a long time, mobile network operators (MNOs) have been channeling their research and development efforts into five key areas: messaging, roaming, policy, signaling, and clearing. Given the vast quantities of knowledge processed through these systems, it’s only natural that MNOs are increasingly specializing in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to boost features, maximize resource efficiency, and safeguard customer data, all while fulfilling their service commitments.
Consider an MNO, partly, as an enormous data bus business — it serves, transports, analyzes, and protects data inside its partitions and amongst operators, enterprises, and end users around the globe. Listed here are a number of the most compelling examples of how MNOs are using AI in these five areas — and the way they’re poised to achieve this — to streamline their processes and maximize value.
Messaging fraud prevention
AI takes center stage in thwarting attempts by criminals to speak with end users. AI models can classify 99% of messages, with the remaining 1% managed through manual regular expression policies and static blocks. Furthermore, AI can analyze sender intent, which is crucial to assessing distribution and other costs related to delivering legitimate content.
Although generative AI has empowered criminals to craft more sophisticated fraudulent schemes, particularly in languages that should not native to them, telecom operators are using AI to fight back. This “Defensive AI” technology is now evolving to detect nuanced scams like spear phishing and pig butchering, where fraudulent intent unfolds step by step over multiple exchanges.
Global policy governance
When MNOs facilitate international roaming, they need to comply with the local regulatory frameworks concerning messaging and content. AI is increasingly being utilized to research, monitor, and implement these policies in real time — not only to shield operators from international legal issues but additionally to potentially safeguard users from legal repercussions. As an illustration, engaging in marketing activities like online gambling could be permissible in a single country but prohibited in one other, comparable to the U.S. Similarly, topics like marijuana sales could be legal in some U.S. states yet remain federally prohibited. MNOs have a responsibility to shield roamers from receiving those varieties of messages where they’re banned.
Nonetheless, with the adoption of RCS (Wealthy Communication Services) messaging, which largely shifts control over the messaging protocol to tech giants like Google and Apple, MNOs face a dilemma. This shift may compromise their ability to implement content policies effectively, introducing recent risks. It stays uncertain how MNOs will maintain compliance and protect their customers and their very own interests as RCS becomes more prevalent.
5G signaling, IoT, and roaming
5G technology presents substantial opportunities for AI integration, particularly for MNOs that wish to offer unique enterprise solutions beyond their traditional services. Take, for example, the realm of supply chain logistics, where IoT devices and sensors are increasingly used for tracking and visibility. With 5G enabling accurate, cell-based geolocation, MNOs can develop systems that monitor shipping containers throughout their journeys — from production facilities to warehouses, through various checkpoints, and to destinations, utilizing their networks and people of international roaming partners.
AI’s role on this scenario is pivotal. It might constantly analyze data streams from these sensors and promptly alert any anomalies that may suggest theft, hostile weather conditions, or civil unrest. Such predictive analytics help reduce shipping costs, detect potential criminal activities, and enhance customer support by providing real-time updates and insights. This integration of AI and 5G by MNOs showcases their potential to develop into key players within the enterprise solutions market by offering services far beyond conventional telecom offerings.
General AI/ML stacks
While MNOs stand to learn directly from their implementation of AI processes, their investments in next-generation technology can even help organizations maximize AI’s potential.
As mobile operators roll out 5G, they’re poised to provide cloud services directly from cell towers and enable businesses to execute their AI/ML models and standard containerized applications in closer proximity to mobile users. This approach leverages the advantages of low latency and high performance inherent in 5G by extending computing capabilities from centralized regional clouds to the sting.
This approach positions operators to create a brand new market segment by integrating their existing infrastructure — cell towers — with a network of micro-distributed computing resources. Moreover, operators could enterprise into offering graphics processing unit (GPU) offloading services to those local compute-enabled towers, thereby diminishing the processing power required by individual devices. This strategy could drop device costs dramatically, make high-performance smartphones accessible to a bigger audience, and release resources to speed up global 5G adoption and AI-powered innovation.
MNOs are at a pivotal juncture where they’ll evolve by expanding their utility role to significant players within the enterprise software and services market. Historically, their strength has been in “the network,” but by integrating AI with their network capabilities, MNOs can secure their relevance and success well into the long run. This fusion of network and AI will enhance their service offerings while positioning them as indispensable partners for businesses in search of advanced tech solutions.
