5G-Advanced networks will enable operators to face the huge data demand of AI-based applications and services, according to Huawei
ISTANBUL, TURKEY- Mobile operators should pave the way to get their networks ready for the mobile artificial intelligence (AI) era, Ken Hu, Huawei’s rotating chairman said during a keynote session at Huawei’s Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2024 (MBBF 2024), being held this week in Istanbul, Turkey.
Hu noted that 2024 is a major milestone for the mobile industry as the 3GPP had officially frozen the Release-18 standard in June, which opened the door for 5G-Advanced (5G-A). The executive noted that more than 60 operators and industry partners have announced plans for commercial 5G-Advanced deployment.
From Huawei’s perspective, 5G-A networks will enable operators to face the huge data demand of AI-based applications and services.
“2024 has also been a huge year for AI. Not only is it advancing fast – it’s more useful than ever, both for consumers and businesses. More and more companies are using AI. For example, banks are using AI to support risk control and decision-making and to handle basic customer service. Their risks are lower, and financial services are more efficient. It’s a win-win for banks and their customers,” Hu said.
Hu went on to say that AI will be used by everyone, anytime and everywhere in the futures, adding that mobile networks and devices will play a key role to make that happen.
“This will bring a lot of new opportunities for the mobile industry. We’ll see more connections and data flows, new services and new business models,” the Huawei executive added.
However, for the telecom industry to get advantage of the AI opportunity, telcos need to make their networks stronger as different AI-based applications will have different demands in terms of connectivity, Hu said.
“If we want to make AI available anytime, anywhere – and make it a viable business model – we need to upgrade network capabilities. Whether it’s for AI agents on your smartphone, autonomous vehicles, mobile robots or real-time machine learning in factories, we’re going to see a lot more connections, and more challenging demands for uplink and latency,” said Hu.
“Of course, to provide the right service level for different AI scenarios, our networks will become more complex. And O&M will be a challenge. So in addition to preparing our networks to support AI, we can use AI to support our networks. Technology like AI foundation models for telecoms can help improve and guarantee network experience, while making O&M more efficient,” he added.
However, Hu emphasized that stronger networks are not enough for operators to seize the growing opportunities in the AI field. “We need greater synergy with devices and applications too. So we need to build up the ecosystem. In June, GTI and Huawei established the 5.5G and AI OpenLab. It’s a platform for operators, equipment vendors, and industry partners to innovate together, explore new services, and create new business models,” said Hu.
