Colombia. Colombia is about to experience a revolution in telecommunications with the arrival of 5G, and the telco sector could have a greater reach with the great possibilities of implementing AI. The path is clear.
For this year, AI is expected to grow by 69% in Latin America, according to a report by the U.S. consulting firm IDC, and Colombia is leading the way. According to the Colombian Chamber of Informatics and Telecommunications (CCIT), it is expected that by the end of the year, more than 70% of companies in the country will implement Artificial Intelligence in their operations.
In February of this year, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation presented its "Artificial Intelligence Roadmap", which seeks an ethical, responsible and sustainable technological implementation.
If operators dare to strengthen their services with AI, how much could the telecommunications sector be transformed by 5G?
Advantages of implementing AI in Colombia's telecommunications
Currently, telcos face common problems due to customer demand for service, according to Jesús Rodríguez, Senior Customer Growth Executive for Infobip, a company that specializes in cloud and omnichannel services for operators.
"Telcos struggle with the massive amounts of data they handle, from their customer databases, to call logs and network performance data," Jesus explains. "They also face a lack of technical expertise in terms of trained staff in data science, machine learning, and AI algorithms; appropriate integration with existing systems; the rigor in the privacy of the data they store, the optimization of budgets; and, of course, to provide a customer experience tailored to today's needs: speed, personalization and accuracy."
Hence, integration with AI brings benefits to the sector. Here are some of them:
1. Network optimization: As AI is able to monitor large volumes of network data in real time, it will be possible to reconfigure these networks and react in time against threats, adjusting the configuration of these networks and directing traffic to safer routes in case of local failures or congestion.
2. Fraud Prevention: Artificial intelligence can detect and prevent fraud by analyzing call logs and data transfers in real-time. Anti-fraud analytics systems can identify suspicious patterns and block corresponding services or accounts.
3. Resource optimization: Artificial intelligence automates processes in the office, reducing costs and improving planning. This results in a higher return on investment, more funds for investments, and higher customer satisfaction.
4. Diversification of products and services: By integrating artificial intelligence with 5G, it expands the product offering, triggers collaborations with other industries, and contributes to the development of smart cities and industries through better connectivity and data sharing.
5. Customer Service Automation and Virtual Assistants: Artificial intelligence virtual assistants improve customer service by answering queries and solving problems without human intervention. This frees up agents to focus on more complex matters.
6. Revenue Growth: An AI-powered data platform analyzes customer information, service usage, and billing data to deliver personalized offers in real-time through the right channel, resulting in increased revenue.
Telco Companies Will Become Rooftops: More AI and Cloud Solutions
According to Rodríguez, the trend is for these telecommunications companies to become "ceilings," that is, technology companies that begin to offer more cloud-based solutions to serve consumers more efficiently, overcoming the challenges that telcos have today. And this is possible with the adoption of AI.
"Today's communication is much more than SMS and voice calls, it is now about omnichannel thanks to the alliances that are made with cloud communication platforms," explains the expert. "This type of partnership allows telcos to sell and use CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) solutions, making it easier for end-users to perform actions such as topping up accounts, making bill payments, and exploring the latest offerings through chat apps such as WhatsApp, Google Business Messages, or Messenger."
AI, machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) are the three queen tools for this technological transformation and optimization. They will be a decisive choice if operators want to stay competitive in an increasingly challenging field.
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