The Integration of 5G-A and AI, unleashing technological potential and promoting industry innovation

At the 2024 Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF 2024), the 5G-AxAI industry roundtable was held at the Halic Congress Center. It was the second time 5G-AxAI industry leaders gathered to discuss the vision of the mobile AI era, the convergence and innovation direction of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and AI technologies. This forum brought together representatives of operators from the global mobile communications market, the world's top analyst firms and media organizations, and industry leaders in the robotics and driverless fields to focus on the opportunities and challenges brought by AI and 5G-A convergence to the mobile industry. An in-depth discussion of the requirements of 5G-A and AI convergence on 5G-A network indicators well accompanied this.

At this forum, GTI's Senior Director of Strategy, Javan Erfanian, presented GTI's grand and inclusive blueprint for the convergence of 5G-A and AI. He emphasized that the integration of 5G-A and AI is a major technological innovation and an open, collaborative global initiative to empower societies, transform industries, and enrich intelligent, efficient, and green networks. The GTI Intelligent RAN, Ubiquitous AI project focuses on AI for Network and Network for AI and has set out with major tasks, which include building open labs, identification and exploration of top 10 high-value use cases and their study in open labs and acceleration of the building of an open collaborative community. He stressed that through this collaborative effort towards embracing, evaluating, shaping, and monetizing such a significant transformation, together we expect to usher in a new era in which intelligent RAN and ubiquitous AI will become key forces driving global industry and enabling well-being, productivity, and growth.

Huawei's VP of Wireless Network Marketing, Sven Zhu, believes that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), not AI-generated content (AIGC), is the true game changer in the world. He asserts that AGI must connect everything and leverage IoT sensors to create a sub-meter-level digital world whereby every device possesses computing power. This device-cloud collaboration enables each terminal to utilize computation efficiently. Everything can be recognized, and each terminal can possess various cognitive abilities, including tactile vision. To fulfill AGI's historical mission in this new era, Zhu proposes that 5G-A networks must evolve in several ways: transitioning from gigabit downlink to universal gigabit uplink, transforming low-latency networks from an X Mbps experience to an X ms experience, and shifting from active IoT to cellular-aware IoT, establishing a solid foundation for cloud collaboration.

At this forum, Dario Talmesio, Omdia's Director of Business Services and Strategy, provided insights into the differing requirements of predictive intelligence generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). He discussed the anticipated convergence of 5G-A and AI technologies, which he predicts will reshape the future of various industries. Talmesio noted that by 2028, GenAI is expected to primarily target the consumer market, with a significant focus on the automotive and healthcare sectors, showcasing its vast potential. He noted verticals that are good candidates also good candidates for GenAI such as business services, financial services, media and entertainment, retail, manufacturing, and telecommunications are also the same candidates to benefit from 5G-Advanced. He emphasized that the convergence of 5G-A and AI will profoundly impact the industry landscape in four main areas: the generation of new traffic, the construction of new infrastructure, the creation of new data, and the emergence of innovative application cases.

Dr. Chang Lin, CEO of Leju Robot, discussed the industrialization of humanoid robots, highlighting their applications in family life, daily work, the Manufacturing field, and urban operations. He emphasized that the integration of 5G-A and AI technologies will accelerate the development of humanoid robots and enable society to share the convenience of Mobile AI.

At the forum, Mr. Fang Kunpeng, President of Huawei's Wireless 5.5G Domain, addressed the groundbreaking impact of combining 5G-A and AI. He stated that this convergence signals the official entry of AI into the mobile industry, fundamentally reshaping work and lifestyle with innovative applications, particularly in smart driving. Mr. Fang Kunpeng underscored the importance of exploring new business models in the mobile AI era to maximize the value of network services such as AI agents and smart driving. He believes that by deeply harnessing the potential of AI, we can unlock new network value and drive the industry towards greater efficiency and intelligence.

During the forum's conclusion, Peter Jarich, Head of GSMA Intelligence, shared his insights on mobile AI as the Summit moderator. Jarich noted that the discussion reflected the reality that Mobile AI holds the potential to radically transform mobile networks and services and that it will be critical to continue exploring 5G and AI synergies as telcos move forward with 5G-Advanced launches. He concluded that regardless of any technological advancements, the ultimate goals of network speed, latency, and reliability should always focus on enhancing user experience, which must remain the top priority for operators as they look to delight their customers, keep churn in check, and grow their revenues.

5G-A x AI Industry Roundtable

The one-and-a-half-hour roundtable discussion focused on the convergence and innovation of 5G-A and AI technologies and provided a fresh perspective. It emphasized that the ultimate goal of technology development and a critical metric for measuring its success is to enhance user experience. This understanding will guide us in prioritizing people's needs and experiences in future technology development and industry strategies. We should use actual requirements and case data from commercial scenarios as the foundation for cross-industry convergence and exploration, thereby realizing the value of technology integration and innovation. Let 5G-A and AI become a new driving force for the intelligent and digital advancement of various industries in the mobile AI era.