Deutsche Telekom and Google Cloud partner on “RAN Guardian” AI agent
Deutsche Telekom and Google Cloud today announced a new partnership to improve Radio Access Network (RAN) operations through the development of a network AI agent. Built using Gemini 2.0 in Vertex AI from Google Cloud, the agent can analyze network behavior, detect performance issues, and implement corrective actions to improve network reliability, reduce operational costs, and enhance customer experiences.
Deutsche Telekom says that as telecom networks become increasingly complex, traditional rule-based automation falls short in addressing real-time challenges. The solution is to use Agentic AI which leverages large language models (LLMs) and advanced reasoning frameworks to create intelligent agents that can think, reason, act, and learn independently.
The RAN Guardian agent, which has been tested and verified at Deutsche Telekom, collaborates in a human-like manner, detecting network anomalies and executing self-healing actions to optimize RAN performance. It will be exhibited at next week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.
–>This cooperative initiative appears to be a first step towards building autonomous and self-healing networks.
In addition to Gemini 2.0 in Vertex AI, the RAN Guardian also uses CloudRun, BigQuery, and Firestore to help deliver:
- Autonomous RAN performance monitoring: The RAN Guardian will continuously analyze key network parameters in real time to predict and detect anomalies.
- AI-driven issue classification and routing: The agent will identify and prioritize network degradations based on multiple data sources, including network monitoring data, inventory data, performance data, and coverage data.
- Proactive network optimization: The agent will also recommend or autonomously implement corrective actions, including resource reallocation and configuration adjustments.
“By combining Deutsche Telekom’s deep telecom expertise with Google Cloud’s cutting-edge AI capabilities, we’re building the next generation of intelligent networks,” said Angelo Libertucci, Global Industry Lead, Telecommunications, Google Cloud. “This means fewer disruptions, faster speeds, and an overall enhanced mobile experience for Deutsche Telekom’s customers.”
“Traditional network management approaches are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of 5G and beyond. We are pioneering AI agents for networks, working with key partners like Google Cloud to unlock a new level of intelligence and automation in RAN operations as a step towards autonomous, self-healing networks” said Abdu Mudesir, Group CTO, Deutsche Telekom.
Mr. Mudesir and Google Cloud’s Muninder Sambi will discuss the role of AI agents in the future of network operations at MWC next week.
References:
https://www.telecoms.com/ai/deutsche-telekom-and-google-cloud-team-up-on-ai-agent-for-ran-operations
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Another telco has joined the AI-RAN club. Nokia highlighted its AI-RAN advances with T-Mobile US and KDDI on the eve of the MWC25 show and now the Finnish vendor has added Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) to that list. The Indonesian network operator has announced it is working with Nokia and Nvidia to deploy what it calls “a unified accelerated computing infrastructure for hosting both AI and RAN workloads.”
The three companies have agreed to develop, test and deploy an AI-RAN solution with an initial focus on managing AI inference workloads using Nvidia’s AI Aerial system and then, later on, to integrate radio access network (RAN) workloads on the same platform.
To support their efforts, IOH, Nokia and Nvidia will collaborate with leading Indonesian universities and research institutions to drive AI-RAN development.
“This collaboration will support academic programs to foster AI innovation in telecom applications, and provide hands-on opportunities for students and researchers to contribute to next-generation AI-powered networks. By engaging with academia, the companies aim to accelerate breakthroughs in AI-driven network optimization, spectral efficiency and energy consumption,” noted IOH in this announcement.
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/telcos-and-ai-channel/what-s-up-with-ioh-ai-ran-telef-nica-airspan-52501/
In the telco realm, some operators are using AI to improve productivity, while others use AI to improve network operations, reducing OpEx by automating network operations. Nvidia has found itself at the epicenter of many of these efforts.
SoftBank and T-Mobile are working with Nvidia to move to an infrastructure that can support both RAN and AI. Nvidia is also partnering with T-Mobile, SoftBank, Ericsson and Nokia on software-defined RAN for mobile switching offices.
Nvidia is also working with Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison on building an AI factory — a data center specialized for AI processing — using Nvidia reference architecture. Some 14 companies worldwide have built AI factories with Nvidia, Ronnie Vasishta said.
Nvidia is partnering with Verizon on its AI Connect initiative to deliver on skyrocketing enterprise requirements for bandwidth and connectivity to support AI.
For telcos seeking to enhance customer experience, Nvidia can support automatic speech recognition and help build “digital humans” with realistic faces.
https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/ai-underhyped-says-nvidias-telecom-chief