Nokia’s Bell Labs Consulting and Saudi Arabian telecom company stc Group have successfully trialed a generative AI solution aimed at improving service provision and overall network efficiency. This innovative solution, termed “AI for Provisioning Services,” is designed to streamline complex provisioning processes, reducing both time and financial costs while enhancing service delivery across stc’s multi-technology and multi-vendor systems.
Prior to this development, stc’s service provision involved a complex and resource-intensive process that required configuring several systems and resources in unison. With the adoption of Nokia’s generative AI, stc Group will be able to minimize the time required to introduce new services, thereby increasing efficiency and saving resources for customers, businesses, and communities.
Tariq Al-Harbi, vice president of the Cloud and Network Services Global Business Center at Nokia Saudi Arabia, emphasized the transformative potential of generative AI in the service provisioning process. He expressed optimism about future collaborations with stc Group that could unlock new business opportunities within the industrial sector in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
In addition to the generative AI solution, Nokia’s MantaRay Cognitive SON, an AI-driven self-organizing network solution, was successfully deployed within stc Group’s commercial network. This advanced platform, which enhances network performance and operational efficiency, was implemented during a period of significant network traffic. The Cognitive SON solution facilitated over 10,000 automated actions, improving the utilization of heavily loaded cells by 30% and increasing user data throughput by 10% on average. Despite a 40% surge in network traffic, stc maintained stable connectivity while reducing manual intervention and enhancing network quality.
The deployment of the Cognitive SON solution is part of stc’s broader digital transformation initiatives, which include expanding its AI-powered technology portfolio. One notable benefit of these initiatives is improved energy efficiency in radio networks, leading to a 13% reduction in energy consumption across stc’s 4G and 5G networks in 2023. The company plans to extend AI-driven solutions to over 200 systems by 2025, further enhancing cost efficiency and operational effectiveness.
The importance of generative AI and its potential impact on service provisioning and network efficiency has been highlighted. The collaboration between Nokia and stc Group represents a forward-thinking approach to leveraging AI technologies in the telecommunication sector, ultimately aiming to improve service delivery and operational efficiencies.
By integrating generative AI solutions and deploying advanced platforms like MantaRay Cognitive SON, Nokia and stc Group are setting a precedent for how AI can be used to optimize network operations, reduce costs, and deliver high-quality services to customers. The ongoing developments in AI-driven network solutions demonstrate a clear trend towards increased automation and efficiency in the telecom industry, positioning both companies at the forefront of technological innovation.