4 Reasons Why AI and 5g Is a Winning Combination
AI shows its true power when it “plays” with other cutting edge technologies.
Artificial intelligence has so much potential that it’s been deemed as nothing short of a miracle. It’s been associated with anything and everything under the sun to the point where some people say it will radically change the human experience forever. While those are bold claims that are hard to back up, the reality shows us that AI can be extremely transformative when applied to our everyday lives.
From data science to robotics, development teams and outsourcing software development companies are already proving AI’s worth, even when it’s still in its relative pre-adolescence. It’s in those real-life cases that AI shows its true power, so it’s an interesting exercise to see how well it “plays” with other cutting edge technologies. That’s precisely what we’ll review here: how AI gets along with 5G, the anticipated 5th generation of the mobile network through some practical applications that already feel like a winning combination.
#1 Proactive Issue Resolution
One of the biggest challenges in today’s networks involves issue resolution. There’s so much data going around that evaluating such large volumes in search of anomalies is a herculean task. This often results in problems that are remediated after the fact, which significantly disrupts the services and the user experience.
With 5G and AI thrown into the mix, the networks will have a greater capacity to handle those data volumes and analyze them in something close to real-time. AI has already proven to be highly effective in proactive remediation and predictive analytics for the manufacturing industry, so it’s only natural to imagine that it will work just as well in the connectivity sector.
By combining the power of both technologies, carriers could reduce the number of issues that impact their services. This will mean a significant boost to their services’ quality, with fewer interruptions for the end-users (something that we all will be thankful for but that will also serve companies towards building consumer loyalty).
#2 Enhanced user experience
5G in and by itself will bring a major overhaul to the user experience, thanks to its low latency and higher data throughput for broadband, streaming, and specific sectors like the agricultural industry. But AI can take 5G up a notch by streamlining the whole user experience, tailoring it to each user’s specific needs.
For instance, AI will better “understand” each user’s demands when it comes to connectivity services, thus offering the most relevant ones according to past behavior. It could take into account the type of user and the number of connections on a given period, thus adjusting the service into a customized offering.
Artificial intelligence helps to humanize the mobile experience, which will be fundamental in the adoption of the next generation of 5G-powered apps. Those applications will fully leverage the power of the new networks while using artificial intelligence to offer more personalized experiences not only in mobile devices but also in IoT and smart devices.
#3 Smart Automation
Automation isn’t a new concept nor practice, especially in the business world. But the fact that it isn’t new doesn’t mean that automation won’t be a major player in 5G’s deployment on a bigger scale. With AI embedded in the networks, carriers will be able to improve their performance through smart monitoring, no-touch device configuration, and orchestration.
The “smart” part comes with AI and implies that the processes mentioned above (as well as many others) will be conducted automatically by smart algorithms. It’s not just a matter of performance, though. AI and 5G will bring a faster deployment of services and more straightforward activations which will, once more, positively impact the user experience.
On a more general level, using AI to automate 5G-related operations will bring more reliability to the entire network, which ultimately means that users will have fewer problems than they have experienced with 4G (let alone previous generations).
#4 Digital Acceleration for Carriers
Though carriers are often on top of the latest tech developments that doesn’t mean they are exempt from carrying out their own digital acceleration processes. In fact, the emergence of 5G means that they have to adapt to the new specifications and requirements of the new standard, which translates to modifications in infrastructure and inherent practices.
Carriers (like pretty much any company out there) need to tackle that digital acceleration process strategically to meet the fluctuating demands of the new business landscape. Again, AI can help with that by providing insights and suggestions for better planning and deployment of new 5G networks (something especially important in these early moments where 5G is starting to spread across the world).
Additionally, AI can help in making more informed decisions regarding ongoing operations and maintenance practices while also ensuring that the digital acceleration process goes seamlessly (aka, without disrupting systems already in place).
Some Final Words
You could argue that AI is still far from showing its true potential and you would be right. However, that doesn’t mean that we have to sit around waiting for AI to mature — quite the opposite. Artificial intelligence has already reached a point of development that can aid numerous processes in modern industries.
5G perfectly illustrates that. With AI and 5G combined, carriers can offer better performance in their services, revamp their maintenance practices, provide superior user experiences, and even rethink its entire digital acceleration. The result of that combination is a winning mix that can benefit carriers and users alike and that will surely reshape the connectivity industry in the coming years.