AI to help in boosting network efficiency

Mideast nations investing in boosting subsea cable network

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A subsea cable being laid. Image for illustrative purposes only. — FIle photo

Published: Thu 15 Aug 2024, 12:14 PM

AI can boost network efficiency by 40% or more, according to a recent survey of telecom and IT engineers.

According to a study by Ciena, this efficiency comes from AI's capability to analyze and predict traffic patterns in real-time, enabling networks to dynamically allocate bandwidth where it's most needed and prevent congestion before it occurs.

AI-powered traffic and network analysis software, selected as a top strategy by 49% of respondents globally and 52% regionally (UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt), plays a pivotal role in this. “By leveraging machine learning algorithms, these tools can forecast high-traffic periods and adjust network parameters in real-time to ensure seamless data flow. Additionally, AI's predictive maintenance capabilities mean that potential issues can be identified and resolved before they impact network performance, thus maintaining high reliability and user satisfaction,” Pete Hall, regional managing director for Ciena, said.

Expanding the subsea cable network in the Middle East, specifically in the UAE and KSA, requires significant investments that are crucial in supporting global connectivity and the growing digital economy, Hall said.

“There is a sense of optimism and strategic planning surrounding these efforts, with Saudi Arabia announcing investments exceeding 9 billion in its technology sector to support its digital transformation outlined in Saudi Vision 2030. These investments also include funding for connectivity infrastructure such as subsea cables to accommodate the projected increase in AI traffic,” he added.

Ciena’s study found that key sectors like financial services, manufacturing, and education in the Middle East are expected to generate the most AI traffic, prompting communication service providers (CSPs) to expand subsea cable networks for high-speed data transmission across continents.

Overall, Ciena’s research highlights the importance of the cloud in supporting and utilizing AI across networks. Throughout the Middle East, 40% of survey respondents believe that telcos will use a mix of private and public cloud providers to provide AI services to their customers. Many factors such as data sensitivity, scalability and availability can play a role in the decision between using a private or public cloud, but respondents in the region were in favor of a hybrid approach.

Ciena’s research highlighted that around 95% of survey respondents in the Middle East are confident in their ability to monetize AI. “In particular, the research also highlighted that CSPs in the Middle East are more likely to leverage AI to open their networks to third-party integrations, create new product offerings, as well as offer differentiation on quality of service for connectivity. These all have the potential to provide increased revenues,” Hall said.