The mobile AI era: what it means for mobile networks

While mobile operators have been accused of being slow to adopt and fully exploit AI technologies, they have aggressively moved to seize AI’s potential over the past few years. 

However, operators represent just one industry and one part of AI uptake. Aggressive new AI adoption from mobile operators mirrors broader uptake across consumer and enterprise users – uptake that is only accelerating as AI innovation gathers pace. This puts mobile operators at an important intersection

Operators must wholeheartedly embrace AI if they hope to remain efficient, profitable and keep up with competitors. They also play an important role in AI’s development by supporting AI workloads running across their networks – what some would call the mobile AI era.

As we try to understand what mobile operators will need to do to support the mobile AI era (how they will need to evolve their networks), we need to ask two questions: 

• What impact will AI have on mobile services and traffic?
• Where will operators need to invest in response?

This analysis provides a summary and introduction, with a full report due for publication later in Q1 2025.