Advertisment

Driving telecom innovation with AI and automation

AI and automation revolutionizes telecommunications by enhancing connectivity, streamlining operations, and driving India's digital transformation.

author-image
Punam Singh
New Update
Driving telecom innovation with AI and automation

Telecommunications is a rapidly evolving landscape, where innovation and technology converge to redefine connectivity, automation and AI are playing transformative roles. In terms to delve deeper into how these technologies are reshaping the telecom sector, we sat down with Prashant Momaya, Senior Director of Sales Engineering, UiPath India.

Advertisment

Prashant shared his insights into the challenges of modernizing legacy systems, the deployment of AI-driven solutions for network optimization, and the critical collaboration between humans, robots, and AI agents. From the surge in 5G rollouts to addressing rural connectivity and enhancing customer experiences, this conversation sheds light on the pivotal role of automation in driving operational excellence and shaping the future of telecom.

Excerpts:

How are legacy systems in the telecom sector being transformed through AI and automation, and what challenges do companies face during this transition?

Advertisment

Telecom companies, especially in India, operate on a foundation built over decades. The oldest telecom operators, like Vodafone, have been in business for over 30 years. During this time, they have built core systems and added numerous new layers as they expanded into areas like fiber-to-the-home, IoT devices, and over-the-top (OTT) services for entertainment.

However, this has created a complex web of legacy systems that often struggle to communicate with newer technologies. Automation plays a crucial role in bridging these gaps, enabling interoperability between systems that may not have APIs or other integration mechanisms. For example, RPA can emulate human actions to transfer data between systems, while AI can streamline customer-facing processes like KYC, document transcription, and query resolution.

The biggest challenge is modernizing these systems without disrupting ongoing operations—a bit like changing tires on a moving car. Additionally, regulatory pressures and evolving market demands require telecom companies to continuously innovate, which automation makes possible by simplifying workflows and increasing efficiency.

Advertisment

India has rapidly transitioned from 4G to 5G networks. How does UiPath’s automation help telecom providers meet the demand for high-speed and reliable connectivity?

India’s 5G rollout has been phenomenal. For example, you can now stream high-quality content at airports with almost no lag. But what goes on behind the scenes is incredibly complex. Setting up a 5G network isn’t just about installing towers—it involves extensive logistics, supply chain management, equipment procurement, and regulatory compliance.

Automation scales these processes by eliminating bottlenecks and reducing dependency on manual efforts. For instance, supply chain automation ensures that the necessary equipment is procured, shipped, and installed without delays. Similarly, automation enables telecom providers to onboard customers quickly and efficiently, ensuring a smooth transition to 5G services.

Advertisment

On the consumer side, automation enhances customer service. AI-powered agents handle level-1 queries like billing or network issues. These agents can resolve basic problems or escalate complex issues to human agents, creating a seamless support system. This combination of AI, automation, and human intervention ensures high-quality service delivery and reliability.

AI adoption in telecom is relatively new compared to sectors like BFSI or healthcare. How does UiPath address security and privacy concerns, especially with the rise of IoT devices?

Security and privacy are paramount in the telecom sector, especially with the increasing prevalence of IoT devices and edge computing. At UiPath, we ensure that our solutions meet stringent regulatory requirements. Customers can choose between on-premises and cloud deployments, with full control over their data.

Advertisment

For example, sensitive information like Aadhaar numbers is masked, with only authorized personnel able to view complete data. This ensures compliance with data protection laws. Additionally, our AI Trust Layer guarantees that customer data is never used to train algorithms or stored unnecessarily. We maintain a full audit trail for transparency, ensuring that customers can track data usage and validate compliance. Trust and transparency are central to our approach.

You mentioned integrating humans, AI agents, and robots. How does this collaboration enhance decision-making and operational outcomes in telecom?

This collaboration is vital because humans, AI, and robots each bring unique strengths to the table. Humans excel at creativity and decision-making, while robots are perfect for repetitive, rule-based tasks. AI, on the other hand, generates insights and provides predictive capabilities that neither humans nor robots alone can achieve.

Advertisment

For example, consider a customer complaint about internet connectivity. A robot can update databases and perform rule-based tasks, while AI generates a personalized response. If the issue is complex, a human can step in with their expertise. This creates a learning loop where humans validate AI outputs and AI enhances human decision-making with data-driven insights.

Such collaboration is particularly impactful in telecom, where processes like network maintenance and customer query resolution require a combination of precision, scalability, and adaptability.

Telecom requires extensive physical infrastructure, especially for 5G. How can AI and predictive analytics eliminate operational bottlenecks?

Advertisment

AI and predictive analytics are game-changers for infrastructure planning and maintenance. For example, AI can analyze satellite imagery to identify optimal tower locations, balancing coverage and revenue potential. Predictive analytics ensures proactive maintenance, minimizing downtime by identifying potential failures before they occur.

Automation also streamlines logistics, ensuring that the right equipment and personnel are deployed to the right locations at the right time. This is particularly important for large-scale deployments like 5G, where the complexity of operations can otherwise lead to inefficiencies.

Rural connectivity is a critical focus area. How is UiPath contributing to enhancing connectivity and delivering services in underserved regions?

While UiPath doesn’t directly provide connectivity, we enable telecom providers to streamline their operations in rural areas. One example is automating form translations into regional languages, ensuring inclusivity for customers who may not be comfortable with English.

Additionally, automation simplifies workflows for rural service delivery, making it easier for providers to expand their reach and bridge the digital divide. This is especially important in a diverse country like India, where regional languages play a significant role in everyday communication.

With data usage per smartphone projected to reach 68 GB by 2029, how is UiPath helping telecom providers prepare for this surge in demand?

The projected data surge will bring multiple operational challenges, from onboarding new customers to managing network performance and resolving service issues. UiPath provides a platform for telecom providers to build automated solutions that address these bottlenecks.

For example, automation can streamline customer onboarding, ensuring fast and error-free service activation. It can also enhance network maintenance by analyzing telemetry data to predict and prevent faults. These capabilities enable telecom providers to scale their operations without compromising on service quality.
What global best practices in telecom automation can be adopted in India?

India’s telecom companies are already world-class in areas like network quality and affordability. However, global markets excel in customer experience. For example, personalized interactions and proactive customer engagement are areas where Indian providers can improve.

By adopting best practices like data-driven personalization and integrating advanced AI solutions, Indian telecom companies can further enhance customer satisfaction and strengthen their competitive edge globally.

Advertisment