AI-native networks: It is time to transform telcos' operations

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant inroads across various industries, and the telecom sector is no exception. Already 97% of global telcos are in the process of implementing AI, and nearly half of them have already deployed it. AI is not just a trend, but a transformation, redefining every aspect of the telecom industry. Today’s telecom networks are doing more than ever, powering hyperconnected cities, supporting millions of customers across channels, and adapting to demands that shift by the second.

From predictive fault detection and AI-driven RAN optimisation to generative AI co-pilots for customer support and field operations, AI is already delivering measurable results. With AI, telecom operators can scale faster, operate more efficiently, and make more informed strategic decisions across their networks.

AI is impacting the entire telecom industry, with key areas of transformation being customer experience, networks, field operations, and fraud and spam. Sentiment-aware, context-driven AI agents are now replacing static chatbots and redefining the customer experience. Over 51% of telcos using GenAI in production are already reporting major improvements in customer satisfaction, proving AI as a major game changer in reducing churn.

It is also transforming telecom networks by diagnosing faults, predicting congestion, optimising RAN, and reducing energy use. According to a NVIDIA Survey, globally, 37% of telcos have adopted AI-powered network planning and operations as a top investment priority for 2025.

In field operations, GenAI copilots guide technicians with contextual, natural-language solutions. At TELUS, for example, 75% of field technicians already use AI tools that guide them in natural language, extract context from past tickets, and suggest solutions both visually and verbally. AI-driven anomaly detection prevents scams, reducing revenue leakage and protecting brand reputation.

Many operators are now deploying AI-driven spam detection systems that monitor billions of calls and messages in real time. These systems detect anomalies, identify patterns of fraudulent behaviour, and block threats often before customers even know they exist.

How AI is Reshaping Telecom Operations

Generative AI is enhancing—not replacing—teams in customer support, sales, legal, and field operations. GenAI copilots can pull customer history from scattered databases, suggest tailored responses in real-time, and transcribe, summarise, and log calls instantly. In the back office, legal teams use GenAI for faster contract reviews.

Sales teams generate proposals in minutes, and field engineers get guidance in natural language, not from thick PDFs, but from intelligent systems that understand context. In fact, a Google Cloud study found that 68% of telcos have GenAI in production, and 74% are already seeing ROI on at least one of the use cases.

Building Secure and Trusted AI Networks

In today’s age of AI, security is more critical than ever. While the security risks associated with networks have grown multifold, AI has emerged as the game-changer in threat detection in telecom. It helps detect fraud, flag anomalies, and automate firewall rules. It also introduces black-box decisions, untested behaviour, and potential vulnerabilities.

With AI, today’s telcos are empowered to implement a “trust by design” model with assurance and validation. They are using it to simulate attack paths, prioritise threats based on real-time context, and catch configuration errors before they hit production.

AI networks, like any AI-driven system, are also prone to failure or inaccuracy; therefore, continuous testing and assurance are critical to every successful AI deployment. To address this, telecom leaders are increasingly relying on digital twins that mirror live networks to run stress-free testing; synthetic traffic to simulate attacks, congestion, and real-world usage; and closed-loop feedback that learn from every rollout and rollback. These solutions ensure reliability, reduce risks, and maintain the resilience of AI-driven networks.

Measuring ROI from Telecom AI Adoption

Global deployments demonstrate that AI investments have already begun to yield significant returns. While 84% of telcos report increased revenue through AI, 77% say AI helps reduce annual operating costs, according to the NVIDIA survey. Another 60% have seen significant improvement in employee productivity, while half of the teams using GenAI have doubled their time savings over the past year. Combine these results with the gain in terms of time-to-market, customer retention, lower downtime, truck rolls, and more predictable operational planning. Thus, AI is not just about return on investment, but also about return on competitiveness.

If 5G was about speed and connectivity, 6G will be about intelligence. In the 6G era, AI will not just support the network but will be embedded within the system, in the form of AI-native RAN, self-configuring cores, real-time orchestration at the edge, and seamless integration with network functions. Telcos will no longer be just service providers; they will evolve into AI platform providers, enabling industries, cities, and entire ecosystems to run on their infrastructure.

Telcos’ Roadmap to AI-Native Networks

Building an AI-native telco network requires an action plan. The first step is to identify the target areas where friction is high, such as customer experience, field operations, or Network Operation Center (NOC) noise, where AI can deliver immediate, measurable value. Next, there is a need to build trust into every model by testing, validating, and enabling explainability, ensuring that AI operates with visibility at all times.

It is also important to equip the team with the proper training, because AI success depends as much on people as on technology. Companies must align every use case with core business metrics such as revenue, customer satisfaction, downtime, or cost reduction to keep deployments tied to measurable outcomes. Finally, choose the right partner. No telco wins the AI race alone–the right technology and assurance partners make all the difference.

Telecom has evolved through copper, fibre, 5G, and every major infrastructure shift in between, but AI marks a game-changer. AI is not just transforming the way you run the network, but redefining what it is. With AI, networks become adaptive, predictive, and intelligent. With a smart move, telcos can lead, shape, and define the future. The smartest telcos have already made their path to building an AI-native future; it is your turn now.

The author is the Executive President for Product Line Management at HFCL.