Nokia’s Bell Labs and the Saudi Arabian telecom company stc Group have announced a promising development that seeks to streamline telecommunication services. This collaboration has successfully trialed a generative AI solution aimed at improving efficiency, reducing costs, and accelerating service delivery. Prior to this innovation, stc Group faced complex configurations to offer seamless services. Now, with this AI solution, managing their intricate networks has become more efficient, benefiting customers, businesses, and communities alike.
The generative AI project titled “AI for Provisioning Services” minimizes the time needed to introduce new services. According to Nokia, this initiative not only decreases costs but enhances resource management across multi-technology and multi-vendor systems. The collaboration promises a leap forward for stc Group in offering streamlined network services.
Tariq Al-Harbi, Nokia’s Cloud and Network Services VP in Saudi Arabia, expressed optimism about the project. He opined that the introduction of generative AI will revolutionize service provisioning and create new business prospects in Saudi Arabia and beyond. His statement captures the essence of their strategic partnership, emphasizing the goal of unlocking new industry opportunities.
This collaboration is not isolated. In June, Nokia successfully deployed its AI-driven MantaRay Cognitive SON network solution within stc Group’s commercial network. This deployment improved network performance significantly, with self-configuring modules that provide tailored applications for various challenges. The Cognitive SON introduced autonomous RAN operations, which enhance automation and optimization capabilities. Customized for stc Group’s needs, this solution bolstered network performance during peak traffic times. It resulted in a 30% better utilization of heavily loaded cells and a 10% improvement in user data throughput.
Despite a 40% traffic increase, stc Group maintained stable connectivity and minimized manual interventions. These tech advancements align with stc Group’s digital transformation initiatives, notably boosting energy efficiency. They managed to cut energy consumption by 13% across their 4G and 5G networks in 2023. Looking ahead to 2025, stc Group aims to extend AI-driven solutions to over 200 systems, further enhancing cost efficiency and operational effectiveness.
