Partner content: AI is expected to play an increasingly integral role in the future of telecommunications service delivery and consumption
CSPs are increasingly deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies across their organizations. This growing adoption of AI and ML is driven by the need to improve operational efficiency, deliver better services, enhance customer experience, and gain valuable insights to stay competitive.
As it evolves, AI is expected to play an increasingly integral role in the future of telecommunications service delivery and consumption. Gen-AI is a particularly exciting new iteration of AI. While traditional AI focuses on analyzing data, making predictions, and automating tasks, Gen-AI takes it further. It can create data-driven visuals, automated network visualizations and facilitate contextual conversations based on patterns learned from existing data. The ongoing advancements in AI and Gen-AI allow for more creative and dynamic applications, enabling machines to generate more actionable insights and human-like responses, produce graphical outputs and even write code.
Ericsson’s eBrief Maximize OSS/BSS impact with AI and Gen-AI details how the application of AI and Gen-AI can transform Operations Support Systems and Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) and consequently enable improvements to business outcomes.
The AI revolution in telecom
AI and Gen-AI solutions are not just about keeping up with technological advancements; they are about setting new standards in telecom excellence. Ericsson is at the forefront of AI innovation, enabling CSPs to derive maximum value from this technology. With its new Telco IT AI Apps, a suite of cloud native AI and Gen-AI applications, Ericsson is taking AI and Gen-AI from experimentation to industrialization, benefiting both CSPs and end customers. Telco IT AI Apps offers AI and Gen-AI applications spanning Ericsson’s OSS/BSS domains Monetization, Orchestration and Assurance, Core Commerce, and Data and Analytics.
Figure 1: Ericsson Telco IT AI Apps for OSS/BSS – examples of the applications offered
Source: Ericsson
By integrating AI into OSS/BSS, CSPs can automate routine tasks, optimize processes, and proactively manage issues, often before they impact customers. This strategic edge ensures CSPs remain competitive and responsive in a rapidly evolving landscape. AI and Gen-AI deliver significant value across OSS/BSS. The business outcomes that AI and Gen-AI can drive in OSS/BSS include the following:
Streamlining operations with AI-powered monetization: The complexity of telecom monetization compounds with the advent of 5G and new services. Now, we can simplify these challenges by analyzing charging and billing data with AI to identify patterns and anomalies. This proactive approach prevents revenue miscalculations and enhances customer satisfaction. For instance, the intelligent invoice anomaly detection system leverages Gen-AI Variational Autoencoder (VAE) to swiftly identify billing discrepancies, reducing revenue loss, and averting customer dissatisfaction.
Enhancing customer experience through AI-driven insights: Customer loyalty is the lifeblood of any CSP, and AI solutions deliver actionable insights to enhance customer experiences. By automating customer profiling, segmentation, and sales recommendations, CSPs can tailor their offerings to meet individual needs. This personalization not only boosts customer satisfaction but also drives revenue through targeted upselling and cross-selling strategies.
Proactive network management with Gen-AI: Intent-driven service management leverages Gen-AI to automate network adjustments, ensuring optimal performance and service quality. This approach reduces manual intervention, making network management more efficient and responsive. For example, during large events such as concerts and soccer matches, CSPs can dynamically adjust network slices to maintain a high Quality of Experience (QoE) for users, preventing service degradation and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Driving business growth with smart pricing and customer insights: An AI-powered smart pricing solution helps CSPs determine optimal product prices by analyzing historical sales data and market dynamics. This data-driven approach enables CSPs to achieve desired sales and revenue targets, whether the goal is revenue maximization or market penetration. Additionally, AI-driven customer insights uncover hidden patterns in large BSS datasets, allowing CSPs to personalize marketing campaigns, predict churn, and win back lost customers.
Accelerating time to market with Gen-AI: In the competitive telecom landscape, speed is of the essence. Gen-AI solutions accelerate time to market by automating product configurations and simplifying interactions with OSS/BSS systems. This not only reduces operational costs but also enhances the overall commercial performance of CSPs, enabling them to seize new revenue opportunities swiftly.
Transform to deliver superior service experiences
Imagine a CSP facing order fulfillment issues leading to subscriber dissatisfaction and revenue loss. With the AI-powered order fallout detection and prediction solution, one Ericsson customer can predict order fallouts 30 minutes ahead of time, allowing for proactive troubleshooting. This not only reduces order failures by 95% but also enhances operational efficiency by 60%, showcasing the tangible impact of AI on OSS/BSS.
AI and Gen-AI are only just beginning to show their impact in OSS/BSS
AI and Gen-AI in telecom is not just about technology—it’s about transforming the way CSPs operate. By integrating AI with OSS/BSS, CSPs can take advantage of their vast data stores and expedite business processes to unlock new levels of operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth. As the telecom sector continues to evolve, these innovations provide a strategic edge, ensuring CSPs remain competitive and responsive.
AI and Gen-AI are more than just tools; they are catalysts for change in the telecom industry. By harnessing the power of AI, CSPs can streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive business growth. For CIOs, Maximize OSS/BSS impact with AI and Gen-AI showcases the full potential of AI in OSS/BSS, paving the way for a future where technology and innovation  combine effectively to drive success. As CSPs navigate the complexities of the modern telecom landscape, it’s time to simplify, automate and apply intelligence to ensure commercial success in the new era of network capabilities.
Authors
Mohit Bhargava
Business and Operations Support Systems – Product Marketing Manager, Ericsson
Mohit Bhargava is a Product Marketing Manager at Ericsson and is responsible for marketing of Ericsson’s Business and Operations Support Systems. His areas of focus in OSS/BSS include data, analytics, AI and Gen-AI, dynamic network slicing and digital monetization platform.
Mohit has over 16 years of work experience in product marketing, marketing strategy, thought leadership and business research in telecom and digital financial services.
Rajwinder Singh
Business and Operations Support Systems – Strategic Product Manager, Ericsson
Rajwinder Singh is a Strategic Product Manager at Ericsson for offering Ericsson Telco IT AI Apps. He is responsible for OSS/BSS AI and Gen-AI offering strategy, product lifecycle management, and market research, particularly within the Ericsson OSS/BSS. At Ericsson OSS/BSS, he steers the development and market introduction of AI-driven and Gen-AI products, contributing to the company’s innovative edge in OSS/BSS.