TECHNICAL
necessitated a greater number of base stations and network cells, which placed pressure on operators to deploy equipment that was energy efficient. Additionally, the inevitable deployment of 6G networks will likely require ever-higher frequency bands, which will exacerbate this need for more energy-efficient equipment. Large Language Models to Lower Entry Barrier for Voicebot Implementation Despite enterprises leveraging mobile messaging channels as part of their business communications strategy, Juniper Research anticipates that voice will remain a core service for enterprise communications over the next five years. 5G Advanced represents a forthcoming evolution in 5G which will empower a diverse new range of industry verticals
However, a large barrier anticipated to hinder the widespread adoption of voicebots in 2024 is their translation capabilities. As many enterprises operate on a global scale, it is essential to develop multilingual voicebots that are able to manage customer interactions regardless of location. Multilingual voicebots are developed via a number of techniques including language detection APIs and multilingual NLU (Natural Language Understanding). However, one technique which has shown particular innovation is the use of LLMs to train voicebot architecture. Therefore, LLM voicebots will be able to reduce this barrier of entry by supporting multiple languages to enable voice to understand and respond to customers in a wider range of languages and dialects without the need of manual programming and scripting. 5G Advanced Networks to Enable New Mobility & XR Markets 5G Advanced represents a forthcoming evolution in 5G which will empower a diverse new range of industry verticals, such as mobility and XR (Extended Reality). Notably, as an evolution of the technology, it will be backwards compatible; leading to swift implementation timelines for operators and mobile subscribers. The new 5G standard aligns with specifications in release 18 from the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project; reducing complexity of network processes and increasing power efficiency. The release will standardise the use of AI and machine learning to automate network orchestration, especially in the context of the performance of the RAN (Radio Access Network) functions. 5G Advanced, which is anticipated to launch in 2024, will have significant benefit to the entertainment and education sectors, by providing support for more interactive application use cases. Operators must capitalise on this rise of new use cases by supporting business models that leverage APIs for service access. The launch of the GSMA’s Open Gateway in 2023 will act as the ideal platform to develop homogeneous APIs that can be implemented across multiple networks. 5G Standalone network architecture is needed to maximise the benefits of 5G Advanced services. However, only a handful of operators have launched
Specifically, voice calls in contact centres and the rise of voice assistants such as Alexa, necessitated chatbot vendors to expand their services to include voicebots. However, in order to maintain its relevance in established markets, voice services must continue to evolve; improving not only the quality of services, but also the flexibility afforded to enterprises. With the support of open API initiatives including the GSMA Open Gateway launched in 2023, Juniper Research predicts that in 2024, LLMs (Large Language Models) and generative AI will revolutionise the capabilities of voicebots across industries such as banking, eCommerce, retail and insurance. Specifically, these AI models will not only improve the personalisation of services such as recommendations, transactions and customer support, but also ensure a quickening in response time, thus improving business efficiency. Enterprises increasingly need the flexibility to scale their operations, but they also need to be able to quickly and efficiently integrate with, and adopt new technologies. For example, the recent growth and development of AI, specifically LLMs such as ChatGPT, have prompted many enterprises to integrate AI into their communications channels. Technologies such as AI have allowed for increased automation; reducing enterprise costs. With this fast-paced evolution of technologies and services, enterprises now need more than ever to have flexible communications channels they can integrate these into. Voice orchestration is an element being increasingly introduced to chatbot developmental frameworks to allow consumers to ask direct questions to the bot through speech, rather than having the client type out their question or search through multiple menus to find the information.
Figure 14: Voicebot Implementation and Capabilities
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Volume 46 No.1 March 2024
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