Comms providers believe AI will improve operational efficiency

More than half of telecom and IT engineers responding to a new survey believe the use of AI will improve network operational efficiency by 40 percent or more.

In addition the study from Ciena, with research by Censuswide, shows an overwhelming 85 percent of respondents express confidence in communication service providers' (CSPs) ability to monetize AI traffic across networks.

The survey questioned 1,500 telecom and IT engineers and managers at CSPs around the world and finds the most popular strategies believed to improve performance include upgrading networks with new traffic and network analysis software (selected by 49 percent of respondents), along with upgrades in switches and routers (43 percent), and investment in 800G technology (40 percent), underscoring the multi-faceted approach operators are adopting to boost network capabilities.

Jürgen Hatheier, Ciena's international chief technology officer, says, "Understanding emerging technologies like AI is an essential step toward staying competitive in today’s constantly changing digital landscape. The survey highlights the optimistic long-term outlook of CSPs regarding AI's ability to enhance the network as well as the need for strategic planning and investments in infrastructure and expertise to fully realize the benefits."

Respondents also see multiple avenues to generate revenue from AI. Specifically, 40 percent believe it will be from opening their networks to third-party integrations; 37 percent believe revenue will come from security and privacy services; the same percentage believe it will come from new product offerings; 35 percent believe it will be from the creation of tailored subscription packages; and 34 percent believe revenue will be from differentiation on quality of service for connectivity.

The research highlights the critical role of cloud in supporting and utilizing AI across networks. 43 percent of CSPs favor private cloud deployment for AI services, while 37 percent lean toward public cloud providers' data centers. Meanwhile, only 21 percent of respondents plan to adopt a hybrid cloud model.

You can find out more on the Ciena blog.

Image credit: everythingposs/depositphotos.com