FROM THE INDUSTRY
operators will link that with a premium fibre offer, for example. If you take the gigabit fibre service, you also get premium Wi-Fi. There are different commercial approaches an operator can take; typically, it also reduces the calls to the helpdesk. Most customers tell us that 60% of the calls they get on the helpdesk are Wi-Fi related. You have pinpointed a weakness in the customer experience which is often the most frustrating one to solve. This sort of automation reduces that frustration. Automation means we can isolate problems; making sure that all the smartphones and the laptops are on the 5GHz band rather than on the 2.4GHz band. What are you finding are the consequences of this level of automation? Automation can help reduce calls to the help desk and reduce truck rolls, elminating the need to send a technician out, which can cost €100-200. How are you employing AI? Interesting; when you build out fibre networks, operators work with subcontractors - the
fibre. They usually request photographs to document what was done, but also to allow the operators to verify that they put the fibre in the right connector. Usually, an operator can only spot check about 5% of these installs. The other 95% is a case of crossing your fingers; it’s one of the biggest challenges that operators have. So we have trained machine learning in this area to improve efficiency and data accuracy so that our operators know exactly which fibre is connected to which port. Between fixed wireless access, fibre roll out, automation and AI, Nokia are doing much to improve QoE, bandwidth, speed and efficiency for their customers from Finland to New Zealand. We will watch their progress with interest and come back to Stefan in due course.
www.nokia.com
crews who dig up the street and put in the
May 2025 Volume 47 No.2
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