A week in telecoms: Telenor opens AI factory

SK Telecom readies LLM-based customer service system

SK Telecom, a key proponent and adopter of generative AI technology, said it is close to launching a new customer service support system that will use the Korean operator’s telco large language model (LLM) and large multimodal model (LMM).

The service is currently available in beta mode and has been “delivering solid results since its mid-October launch,” SKT said.

SKT is collaborating with Deutsche Telekom on telco-specific LLMs. The two telcos are also part of the Global Telco AI Alliance along with e& and Singtel.

SKT said a key innovation in the system is the implementation of retrieval augmented generation (RAG), which it said “significantly enhances response accuracy by retrieving relevant information and leveraging this information in the response generation.”

The telco LMM “takes this capability further by processing both text and telecommunications-related images, creating a truly comprehensive service solution,” SKT added.

The AI customer service support system introduces three features: the AI knowledge search assistant, intelligent document processing, and the automated post-processing system for consultation results.

The move forms part of SKT’s ongoing efforts to become an AI company. 

Hong Seung Tae, Vice President and Head of Customer Value Innovation Office at SK Telecom, said its transformation into an AI contact center “represents more than just operational efficiency — it’s about delivering truly personalized, customer-centric service. Through our telco LLM-based AI customer service support system, we expect to set new standards in customer service excellence and position ourselves as the industry leader in AI-driven customer support.”

Telenor opens AI factory and announces first new customer

Telenor has officially launched its previously announced AI factory and said Hive Autonomy is the first customer of the initiative that is designed to help businesses with AI-based transformation.

The Norwegian operator said in February that it was investing NOK 100 million to build an AI factory using Nvidia’s full-stack AI computing platform. The aim is to enhance AI adoption for both internal operations and external customers, as well as provide local AI computing capabilities to the Nordic region.

Jannicke Hilland, Head of Telenor Infrastructure, said the telco’s mission is to “empower organisations to innovate, and Hive Autonomy’s commitment to redefining autonomous technology aligns perfectly with our vision. By combining their forward-thinking solutions with our critical infrastructure, we’re opening doors to a future where AI and autonomy transform industries in real, tangible ways.”

Essentially, the AI factory will serve as a collaborative platform, combining Telenor’s infrastructure and expertise with partner companies to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries. Telenor said the AI factory will continue to onboard customers that are seeking to exploit AI technology.

For instance, Hive Autonomy creates autonomous systems that adapt to dynamic environments and, it said, operate with heightened levels of precision and safety. With Telenor’s AI factory, Hive Autonomy noted that it can focus on refining and scaling its technology in a supportive environment, with Telenor’s infrastructure backing its most ambitious innovations.

Spanish operators tie on Open Gateway API lab

Spain’s operators have been enthusiastic supporters of the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative from the outset, with the early launch of commercial APIs such as APIs Number Verification and SIM Swap.

Now, MasOrange, Telefónica and the i2CAT research centre have joined forces to launch what they describe as the first multi-operator Open Gateway API lab in Europe, based in Barcalona. Vodafone Group has also joined the initiative, presumably represented by its innovation center in Malaga. (Vodafone Spain has now been sold to Zegona). 

The lab is said to be a “developer-ready environment that will allow businesses and creators to explore and take advantage of telco capabilities through standardised APIs.” It aims to accelerate the adoption of interoperable APIs, “creating joint use cases and unifying performance in an accessible and collaborative environment.” 

The APIs are developed under the common framework of CAMARA, an open source project within the Linux Foundation, with support from TM Forum. The aim is to enable a single development with integrated APIs to be compatible with the networks of all telcos.

i2CAT is to lead the integration of performance tests into existing APIs, and will also collaborate in the creation of new APIs. According to the release, the definition of new use cases “will also take into account the needs of various sectors to ensure a product that offers harmonized performance and adapted to the needs of each case.”

Nokia wins major Bharti Airtel deal extension in India

Nokia trumpeted its win of a “multi-billion 5G extension deal” from Bharti Airtel for its India operations. The deal will see the Finnish vendor deploy 4G and 5G equipment across key Indian cities and states.

Nokia also noted that it will help Airtel evolve its network towards 5G Advanced, seen as the next era for 5G before the arrival of 6G. 

Specifically, the vendor will provide equipment from its 5G AirScale portfolio including base stations, baseband units and the latest generation of Massive MIMO radios, all with ReefShark System-on-Chip technology. 

In addition, Nokia will modernize Airtel’s existing 4G network with multiband radios and baseband equipment, which can also support 5G.

Furthermore, Airtel will use Nokia’s MantaRay Network Management for intelligent network monitoring and management that uses AI-based tools covering digital deployment, optimization and technical support.

Nokia noted that it has collaborated with Airtel for over two decades. Recent developments include the launch of the Green 5G Initiative, aimed at improving the energy efficiency of Airtel’s network and reducing carbon emissions.

Virgin Media O2 switches on next-gen CIN

UK-based Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) hailed a new milestone in its network evolution strategy after switching on its new Converged Interconnect Network (CIN) that is designed to carry both mobile and fixed traffic.

VMO2 explained that the CIN effectively takes the core deeper into its network, with IP routed networks deployed in the access network. “This allows different services to coexist on the network and be managed more easily, with the end customer closer to an optimised, scalable and extremely high-capacity network,” it said.

The operator added that the new network can be “quickly scaled up to provide greater capacity as demand for data grows, both in response to changing consumer preferences and as new areas receive connectivity.”

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said the new network architecture “brings together two separate networks for the first time, enabling more efficient, scalable and resilient data movement. It enables us to deliver next generation services to our broadband and mobile customers across the country.”

The CIN is based on Ciena 5171 and 8180 coherent routers with WaveLogic 5 Nano coherent pluggable optics, all managed by Navigator Network Control Suite. 

VMO2 added that the CIN architecture enables improved delivery of Virgin Media Business Wholesale’s 10Gbps services, “allowing business wholesale partners to scale operations far more quickly and seamlessly.”

Also noted…

Brendan Carr has been named as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

Malaysia faces more 5G challenges.

Bouygues Telecom has completed the acquisition of La Poste Mobile.

T-Mobile US reportedly managed to contain a recent network breach before it reached customers’ phones.