Telefonica Deploys AI-Powered Operations Centres

Telefonica has deployed its first artificial intelligence (AI) based operations centres in Argentina, Chile and Germany to assist in the management of its networks.

Using Huawei’s Smartcare SOC (service operations centres) system, Telefonica is using the technology to automatically analyse aggregated and anonymous information on its networks in real-time.

This enables the operations centre  to better facilitate tasks such as analysing customer experiences, carrying out predictive maintenance, and being proactive in network optimisation and the anticipation of incidents and black spots on the networks.

AI assistance

The overall goal of the new service operations centres is to make Telefonica’s network management more centred around its customers and service delivery rather than simply keeping its networks ticking over.

Telefonica highlighted that wants its network management to move away from scheduled maintenance operations to more proactive and predictive approaches, thereby ensuring the services it delivers to its customers are to their satisfaction. and decisions made around its devices and networks are based on tangible, up-to-date data.

“These SOCs are the first step in bringing customer experience to the next level. In the near future the application of artificial intelligence to networks will maximise capacity and solve any problems before end users even notice anything,” said Enrique Blanco, global chief technology officer at Telefonica.

“The final objective is to manage the network automatically to avert any potential problems. Machine learning is also becoming critical as operators virtualise their infrastructure: networks are becoming dynamic and exponentially more complicated to manage as the control is delegated to the network’s edge. As Telefonica moves towards the next generation of networks, intelligence and analytics are key, to turn data into a knowledge that enables real-life innovation.”

Telefonica’s use of AI technology is an example of how the adoption of new technologies can help change and evolve established companies, often under the banner of digital transformation.

And having Huawei as a partner to under go do this appears to be a savvy move as the Chinese technology giant is keen to push its technology, notably its based on its all-cloud architecture, as a means to accelerate digital transformation.

Put your knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the test. Try our quiz!