4 Main Uses Of Artificial Intelligence In Telecommunications

The application of Artificial Intelligence in the telecommunication industry has gained quite a much traction in the recent past and for the right reasons.

The role of the telecommunications industry in today’s world has expanded beyond the provision of simple phone and internet interaction services for individuals and corporates. In the current era of the Internet of Things (IoT), telecommunication companies have leveraged mobile and broadband services to take center stage in technological growth and innovation.

That is not all; educated prospects point to a future commercial world where Artificial intelligence is vital. For example, Technavio, a leading market research, and advisory firm globally, expects growth in technology to continue for the foreseeable future and record a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of above 42% next year. More significantly, this growth is because of the role of Artificial intelligence

Communication Service Providers constantly strive to improve customer experience by availing high-quality services to their everyday consumers. To achieve this goal, service providers have had to keep track of customers’ real-time habits, frictions, needs, and aspirations for internet services. In the process, they end up amassing large volumes of data needed for consumer insight.

Much of the essential data comes from devices such as computers, mobile phones, and tablets. Mobile applications, consumption rate/pattern of services, geo-location data, detailed customer profile, and billing data also help define consumer preferences and set a rational basis for improving the service quality.

Artificial intelligence has helped companies harness mass information on a day-to-day basis, process and analyze data and use market intelligence to draw market-oriented conclusions in a relatively short time. Noteworthy, without the help of Artificial intelligence, it would take the human capacity exceedingly longer to analyze the quantity and complexity of the data involved.

The findings and conclusions drawn from the processed data help telcos improve the quality of services and boost their revenues. This is because more customers will pay for service packages that are progressively speaking to their needs.

According to Gartner, the global use of technology is rising, with the number of connected devices likely soon to hit the 20.4 billion mark. Similarly, the size of consumer data churned out every day will increase and further underline the significance of artificial intelligence in technological development.

Top Communication Service Providers have invested Artificial Intelligence in the following areas:

Network Optimization

Virtual Assistants

Preventive Maintenance, and

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

What is critical, Artificial Intelligence is presently delivering concrete and consistent results in the four areas of innovation and commerce listed above.

Artificial Intelligence has an essential role in building Self-optimizing Networks (SONs). But what is a Self-optimizing Network (SON)? It is a form of automated technology that seeks to improve the quality of a network based on location/region and time zone of the network’s traffic.

Telecommunication companies use Artificial Intelligence applications and advanced algorithms to identify specific data patterns and detect network glitches likely to impact consumers. That way, telcos are ahead of time to resolve network problems before customers suffer time and money losses.

63.5% of telecommunication operators have actively invested in Artificial Intelligence to strengthen their network infrastructure and enable customers to enjoy smooth services.

Examples of applications of Artificial Intelligence by popular telecommunication companies include:

ZeroStack’s ZBrain Cloud Management aims to analyze the storage and use of private cloud telemetry and help the client improve capacity planning, upgrade, and broad-spectrum management.

Aria Networks is a network optimization solution that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and accounts for certain Tier 1 telecommunication companies as customers.

Sedona Systems' NetFusion enhances traffic routing and fast delivery of the services running on 5G, such as AR/VR.

Nokia set up its AVA platform that uses machine learning; it is a cloud-based network management tool to improve capacity planning and provide up to seven-day projections for cell sites service degradations.

Telecommunication companies are reliant on Artificial Intelligence for predictive analytics. Predictive analytics incorporates statistical techniques and predictive modelling/complex algorithms to analyze prevailing and historical data and make predictions about future results or events. This historical data allows telco companies to identify risks and opportunities to provide better services to their customers.

Predictive analytics helps service providers keep track of equipment conditions and uses data patterns to forecast possible system failure. With this insight, it is possible to proactively address problems with communications hardware like power lines, cell towers, data center servers, and set-top boxes in customers' homes.

Network automation and intelligence support accurate root-cause analysis and predictions for technical hitches in the short term. However, network automation and related technology will support more strategic objectives like forming new customer experiences and proficient handling of emergent business needs in a long time.

For example, AT&T is using Artificial Intelligence to support its maintenance processes. One of their innovative solutions is testing a drone's capabilities to expand its network coverage for LTE and analyzing its video information to help with technical support and cell tower maintenance tasks.

Preventive maintenance is not only beneficial for network support and improvement but also helps the customers. For example, KPN, a Dutch telecommunications company, studies various responses received from its contact center agents and uses this information to improve the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

Additionally, with consent from customers, KPN monitors and studies customers' home habits like switching channels on their modem, which is likely to indicate a problem with Wi-Fi. Once the problem is detected, KPN proactively addresses such issues and improves their technical teams' success rate.

Artificial Intelligence is used in telecommunications for conversational AI platforms, also called virtual assistants. Virtual assistants allow for efficient automation and scaling of one-on-one conversations, which reduces operating expenses. For instance, according to Juniper Research, it is projected by 2022, virtual assistance will reduce overall business expenses for telcos by up to $8 billion per year.

Virtual assistants have helped telecommunication companies deal with the vast number of requests for support in processes such as installation, setting up, maintenance and troubleshooting. Without virtual assistance, the high number of requests for aid could easily overcome their customer service centers. However, with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is possible to automate self-service capabilities to guide customers on the installation and operations of their devices.

For example, Vodafone recorded an increase of 68% in customer satisfaction after implementing TechSee's technology. To build on this success, Vodafone later launched the new Chatbot TOBi that provides answers to customers on a wide range of questions. Also, Chatbot provides scaled responses to customer questions, helping deliver the kind of support efficiency that subscribers seek from telcos.

With MIKA, Nokia's virtual assistant, customers receive instant solutions for their network problems. Additionally, MIKA has recorded an improvement of between 20% and 40% for its first-time resolution rate. Other virtual assistants like Telefónica's Aura minimize the costs incurred by customers when they make enquiries over the phone. On the other hand, Comcast has launched a voice remote to help customers interact with the Comcast system through natural speech.DISH Network works with Amazon's Alexa to enable customers to use voice commands to search and buy media content without using a remote control. Incorporating visual support to IVR helps customers enjoy faster interactions, which minimizes the Average Handling Times (AHT) and hold times for the customer, further boosting customer experience.

Usually, CSPs worldwide have many customers executing daily transactions running into the millions, which can quickly fail out of human error. This is where Robotic Process Automation (RPA) comes about.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a form of technology that uses Artificial Intelligence and is automated to handle repetitive business processes. RPA increases work efficiency, allowing companies to better take care of their operations and a large number of repetitive and rules-based actions.

More importantly, RPA frees CSPs employees' time, focusing on the more strategic business work. This is because RPA rationalizes how RPA can execute complex, labor-intensive, and time-consuming tasks like data entry, billing, and management of workforce and order fulfillment easily and without errors.

A recent survey by Deloitte shows that 40% of executives in Telecom, Media, and Tech affirm that they have gained "sizeable" benefits from using cognitive technology. Additionally, 25% of these executives have invested at least $10 million in cognitive technologies, with 75% expecting cognitive computing to "substantially transform" their business organizations in the coming three years.

One example is Celaton which helps telecommunication companies streamline incoming data like emails, web posts and forms, and helps to extract and authenticate certain information received from correspondents. Celaton suggests and presents necessary responses and allows service representatives to revise and improve the messages before sending them out to customers.

Another example is Kryon which helps operators identify the main processes that need automation, which provides efficiency and optimal support for the company's human and digital workforce.

Applications running on Artificial Intelligence progressively allow CSPs to manage, improve and maintain customer-support infrastructure and operations.?

Telcos are using Artificial Intelligence for network optimization, predictive maintenance, RPA, and virtual assistants to positively impact the industry, provide enterprise value and enhance customer experience.

I expect Artificial Intelligence to continue growing positively as tools and applications for Big Data increase and become more sophisticated in this competitive business world.