By Kavit Majithia
Vendors argue case for multi-tech 5G approach
Leading equipment suppliers Nokia, Intel and Mavenir insisted there was a very crucial link between next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT), which must intersect within operator networks to ensure 5G delivers on certain promises.
In a keynote panel, Asha Keddy, Intel’s corporate VP, general manager for next generation standards and 5G executive officer, dismissed suggestions that it was a cliché to pull popular certain industry terms together, stating AI, IoT and 5G networks all have similar use cases in the 5G era.
“They all get grouped together and they intersect because the promise of 5G ensures a fully connected mobile intelligence society. They all have data and networks in common… AI uses pipes to build personalisation and customisation to remove constraints for businesses,” she said.
Nokia’s president customer operations, Americas, Ricky Corker, pointed to his company’s role in actually building the networks in question, and while it was in a unique position of “providing all the elements required”, challenges did exist.
“Making it all work is complex. It is new and it has to come together through AI and orchestration so we can make things real and move data around in the network seamlessly, when it wasn’t possible in the past.”
For Mavenir, CSO Bejoy Pankajakshan said the company viewed the “triple A” approach as key to making 5G successful: AI, automation and analytics.
“I think 5G is not just a new generation, it is a network transformation. Every time you talk about network transformation a bunch of things need to come together to make it happen. If you look at how operators have to transform from being service providers to digital providers, you are going to through a network transformation,” Pankajakshan concluded.