TELECOMS AND EDGE COMPUTING

AI and the intelligent network

Blessing notes how deployment models are evolving. “We are seeing edge deployments and on-demand scaling using public cloud infrastructure. That kind of agility is already arriving in the market.”

AI is another pillar of Ericsson’s strategy, enhancing networks across three key layers: business operations, service orchestration and resource management. “It’s still early days, but AI is already making a real impact,” says Blessing. “Think of it like Iron Man: AI enhances what the human can do, but people still make the decisions.”

“Think of AI like Iron Man: it enhances what the human can do, but people still make the decisions”

Intent-based automation is one powerful example. “If a product owner wants a dedicated network slice for a concert, that intent is translated into technical instructions. The system then allocates bandwidth, latency and quality settings automatically across the entire network.”

Energy efficiency is another significant gain. “We’re using AI to place radios into deep sleep when demand is low. For example, during the day in residential areas, AI cuts energy use significantly,

BLESSING MAKUMBE

VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF CLOUD SOFTWARE & SERVICES FOR THE UK AND IRELAND, ERICSSON

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