Telcos transformed: Embracing gen AI to optimise networks and engage customers

Generative AI (gen AI) is the talk of the telecommunications sector - and for good reason. This revolutionary technology offers telcos the opportunity to revitalise growth.

Its content-creating power unlocks multiple possibilities for enhancing network performance, streamlining operations and elevating customer experience. Gen AI-powered interactions are smarter, more agile and – crucially – speak “human”. 

Although telcos have been embracing AI for some time, gen AI takes service delivery and customer experience to the next level. It doesn’t just detect problems within a network, it creates action plans to solve them.

The opportunities for OpEx savings are clear. Indeed, Cognizant has supported a global telco to install smart service management technologies which are forecast to save £25 million by 2027.

Global telco – smart service management

However, there’s some uncertainty amongst telcos about where to begin the journey. Gen AI requires vast amounts of data – is theirs in good enough shape? What are the possible use cases and which would best suit their businesses?

In the first of two blogs on the power of gen AI to transform the telecom sector , we argue that the time to start is now. The business case is compelling: generative automation reduces operating costs, raises productivity and frees up staff to focus on higher-value, innovative work. Here, we examine some of the industry-specific use cases which could change your business.

Optimise the networks your customers depend on

Telcos need to reduce the operational cost of managing increasingly complex networks, whilst at the same time guarding against the financial and reputational risks of unplanned downtime. AI analyses vast quantities of data to detect problems in real-time, correlating current performance with previous patterns and incidents. Gen AI then draws on this knowledge base of preventive actions, it creates easily understood, actionable summaries for rapid auto resolution in simpler cases, or guides technicians for more complex issues.  It doesn’t just react to present problems; its algorithms also predict future outages and enable predictive maintenance by flagging up probable degradation of towers, masts and other equipment.

Gen AI also empowers network engineers in designing new network services. Based on a customer request, for example for boosted capacity, gen AI optimises configurations to produce a new service template for the engineer to refine.

Enhancing customer (self) service

A poor call centre experience is a major source of customer dissatisfaction. According to a recent survey by the consumer watchdog Which? 22% of UK telecom customers were unhappy with their most recent customer service experience. Telcos are turning to gen AI to expedite rapid resolution of customers’ problems, reducing frustrating “on hold” waits.

Whilst rule-based chatbots have been around for years, their limited responses to individual issues have often created deeper customer dissatisfaction. Gen AI virtual assistants break free of predefined rules, drawing on a deep knowledge base to answer queries and solve routine issues rapidly, in natural language. Providing self-service options for customers, the technology guides them through the necessary steps to resolution and provides the information they want.

This reduces call volumes at contact centres, giving customer service agents the time to focus on more complex cases for greater consistency and quality.

Service assurance with gen AI

When self-service options don’t solve an issue, the virtual assistant connects the customer to a human agent. It saves the agent vital time by generating a summary of the case and recommending next best action, enhancing productivity and driving customer satisfaction.

Telcos meet their service level agreements (SLAs) with enterprise customers through automated fault detection, ticketing and proactive corrections. In the field, gen AI prioritises and optimises maintenance. It support technicians to troubleshoot equipment failures by proposing next best action based on technical data and past incidents. Smart scheduling ensures that jobs are effectively prioritised according to risk and urgency, reducing service disruptions. 

Start your gen AI journey - now

Gen AI has the potential to transform both everyday and complex processes for telcos as they strive to cut costs whilst ensuring operational excellence. It offers powerful tools for multiple possible use cases to optimise network performance, customer engagement and much more.

But how do you even start to harness this remarkable technology, to become a gen AI-native telco? The key is to create an effective foundation by having key enablers like healthy data and a robust AI strategy. Look out for our second blog launching Tuesday 30th July, where we’ll explain how to consolidate your data, reshape your technology stacks and invest in fresh talent to push your business to the forefront of the gen AI revolution.

If you would like to learn more, please get in touch.