AI Is Transforming Network Operations: Here’s How You Can Get Ahead of the Curve

As the digital landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, network operators face mounting challenges. The increasing complexity of telco networks has left them overloaded, overwhelmed, and unable to continually enhance end-user’s experience to elevate business outcomes. Engineering and support teams must spend too much time on manual, day-to-day tasks, which creates inefficiencies that affect the bottom line.

Thankfully, there’s an AI-shaped solution on the horizon. AI-driven predictive analytics and machine learning will change network operations forever, overcoming the challenges operators currently face.

AI and ML are the technological keys that will turn today’s business challenges into opportunities for substantial, sustainable growth. According to Gartner, 90% of telcos will leverage AI functions to automate Day 2 network operations by 2027. This marks a great increase from the 10% adoption rate observed in 2023 and underscores the urgency of embracing AI technology.

 But how will AI-driven predictive analytics change network operations? And what benefits will it bring? There are four main areas to consider.

The Benefits of AI for Network Operators

Improved Network Service
By leveraging AI-powered systems to identify patterns and anomalies, operators can proactively optimize network performance, ensure seamless connectivity, and minimize downtime.

Predictive analytics also play a crucial role in capacity planning, enabling telcos to scale networks efficiently in response to evolving demands.

Optimized Resource Allocation and Cost Savings
By automating routine tasks such as configuration management, troubleshooting, and network optimization, machine learning technologies remove the need for manual intervention. This enhances operational efficiency, reduces human errors, and ultimately leads to significant cost savings.

Freeing up network administrators’ time, machine learning enables them to focus on strategic initiatives that bring better customer outcomes and drive business growth.

Enhanced Network Security
AI-powered systems can detect and mitigate cybersecurity threats in real-time by analyzing network traffic patterns to identify potential breaches, abnormal activities, and suspicious behavior.

This proactive approach to security is essential in safeguarding networks against ever-evolving threats found in today's digital landscape, making it an area where the benefits of AI are especially compelling.

Automated Network Configuration
AI facilitates seamless integration and interoperability between diverse infrastructure components. This simplifies complex workflows and reduces technology deployment times.

This functionality makes telcos more agile in responding to changing market dynamics and means that digital transformation initiatives of all kinds can be executed faster, ensuring organizations that are using AI effectively are several steps ahead of the competition.

Act Today to Transform Tomorrow

Sutherland offers a suite of autonomous network operation tools, known as Sutherland Netshield AI for Operators. Deployed together, this solution suite can transform network management by bringing the power of AI-powered predictive analytics and machine learning to telcos.

Sutherland Netshield AI for Operators brings tangible business outcomes for users:

• 50% reduction in service-impacting equipment failures.

• 60% decrease in time to resolve service-impacting issues.

• 50% fewer tower repair dispatches.

This comprehensive solution comprises four key components:

• Sutherland NetSentinel AI: Leveraging advanced algorithms to enable smarter business processes and the proactive identification and rectification of network service issues – resulting in huge increases in subscriber satisfaction rates.

• SmartLeap HelpTree: A knowledge management platform powered by a robust decision network architecture. SmartLeap HelpTree provides step-by-step guidance for complex incident resolution and proactive maintenance, improving troubleshooting, engineering design, and provisioning processes.

• Sutherland Robility: Built to facilitate faster and safer scaling of new technologies and capabilities by using intelligent automation, AI, and ML, this platform maximizes outcomes for enterprises. Sutherland Robility provisions automated networks and systems to manage administrative tasks, automates issue resolution for operational efficiency, and tests and deploys advanced software and applications.

• Sutherland NetDev XG AI: Bespoke solutions for application development and dedicated care support for developers – enhancing device health and automated issue resolution, and aligning code and framework with industry standards.

Conclusion

AI-powered networks represent the future of network operations, offering telcos unparalleled efficiency, reliability, and security.

However, the right approach is critical. Telcos need the right technology – and the right partner – to guide the process and ensure integration with existing networks is seamless, protecting previous IT investments.

With 35+ years of experience in business optimization and extensive telecoms expertise, Sutherland is perfectly positioned to elevate your network operations with AI.