In a city known for smoke and mirrors, Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony execs aimed to dispel some of the persistent illusions around AI and Open RAN at Mobile World Congress Las Vegas 2023. Speaking to packed rooms, Anshul Bhatt of Rakuten Mobile and Geoff Hollingworth of Rakuten Symphony injected a dose of reality to their panel discussions — based on the company's actual experience with deployments — to help MNOs move beyond the hype of this cutting edge tech to a focus on delivering tangible business outcomes.
Bhatt's insights immediately established how Rakuten Mobile is learning and benefiting from AI today.
"Generative AI is transforming not just what we can do but how we work," he said. He referenced how with the aid of GenAI, NOC engineers can immediately become coders and play an active role in automating key processes.
Bhatt identified four distinct use-case segments that Rakuten Mobile has implemented: monitoring, analyzing, decision making and action orchestration. Rakuten Mobile has deployed autonomous monitoring in most domains, laying a strong foundation with features like autonomous anomaly detection. He was candid about the complexities posed by the vast metrics across platform layers and functions.
“The traditional models of monitoring based on predefined rules, such as golden template-based configuration management, simply weren't tenable anymore. With the plethora of data points and metrics, there's a shift towards an outlier-based approach, allowing them to navigate the sheer volume and intricacy of data more effectively,” he said.
Rakuten Mobile boasts an extensive suite of APIs and an automation library for unparalleled visibility into network operations, supporting the ability to track actions, understand who's doing what and importantly, identify patterns. This data-centric approach, combined with manual interventions, paves the path toward fully autonomous networks, he said.
Bhatt articulated a future where AI doesn't just monitor but also learns from the actions taken in the network. By understanding both monitoring data and the manual reactions, the goal is to let AI predict and autonomously execute the best course of action, propelling the industry closer to truly intelligent networks.
When the discussion turned to the massive datasets underpinning AI and automation strategies, Bhatt said, "Considering the complexity of 5G, it's not just about data quantity but where you process it. At Rakuten Mobile, we harness the power of AI at the edge, reshaping observability and maximizing efficiency."
"Generative AI is transforming not just what we can do, but how we work."
Overall, Bhatt emphasized the idea that the “true power of unlocking AI’s potential lies in harmonizing people, processes and tech."
Such harmonization isn't a conceptual framework for Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony, but core to its operational principles.
Hollingworth's comments on Open RAN eschewed the usual dialog around trials and competing approaches, instead homing in on the simple fact that the industry no longer needs to have a technology discussion.
“Now, it's about how to do Open RAN operationally, economically and architecturally,” he said.
The shift, according to Hollingworth, is akin to "moving from a mainframe to deploying PCs," underscoring the paradigm shift the industry is undergoing. With telecom finally acknowledging the importance of software, he stated flatly, "Now, we have to be really good at it."
He emphasized the need for telecom to focus on automation and operational transformation, pointing out that the journey begins there, rather than with Open RAN itself.
“Now, it's about how to do Open RAN operationally, economically and architecturally.”
Drawing on the company’s work in Japan, Hollingworth shed light on the broader implications of this transformational shift.
“Beyond technology, Open RAN represents a shift in industry power dynamics and control, ultimately translating to economic change. Central to telecom’s success will be simplifying and industrializing the supply chain, removing redundancies and embracing automation – a formula that will yield transformational results," he said.
Both Bhatt and Hollingworth converged on the significance of data in shaping the industry's trajectory. Hollingworth asserted that while AI remains a buzzword, with terms like 'metaverse' once capturing attention, the true journey begins with "industrializing the data pipelines". He shared how mastery in data management can lay the groundwork for the industry's future.
While AI and Open RAN are transformative, their potential can only be realized with a deep understanding and a practical approach. As the industry stands at the crossroads of these technologies, Rakuten’s insights offer a well-charted path forward.
“At Rakuten Mobile, we harness the power of AI at the edge, reshaping observability and maximizing efficiency."
Through practical implementation, focused strategy and sharing lessons learned, the company aims to not just champion change but lead by example. Let’s have a discussion about how we can put what we’ve learned to work for you.
