Insights: How UAE is enabling network transformation in the AI age

Many adults today remember a time before smartphones were the hub of daily life. However, millions of young people worldwide do not. Today, we’re at a similar inflexion point with the convergence of two technologies: 5G and AI.

Enabling AI-powered solutions will fundamentally change how we live, work, and play. This is being made possible by higher-performance, lower-latency 5G and private 5G (P5G) networks, as AI applications are vastly more compute- and network-intensive than anything humanity has ever seen before. It’s also made possible by high-capacity edge solutions, which 5G and P5G play an important role in enabling.

The UAE has adopted the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, which aims at positioning the UAE as a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2031 and to develop an integrated system that employs artificial intelligence in vital areas in the UAE.

From computer vision to multi-source analytics applications, the AI market is projected to reach nearly $3.4bn in the GCC this year and is expected to show an annual growth rate of nearly 28.63 per cent (CAGR) to become about $15.40bn by 2030. In short, AI will continue driving innovation for the foreseeable future.

Industries at the forefront

Although every type of business will gain from the convergence of AI and 5G, several key industries will be among the first to realise the benefits, as these AI applications have been in development and testing for some time, in anticipation of 5G and P5G networks becoming ubiquitous. Consider the following examples.

Healthcare: In October 2023, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) officially launched the UAE health sector’s first Centre of Excellence (COE) for artificial intelligence. The centre aims to promote the digitalisation of health data, employ smart technologies to develop health capacities and offerings and establish a comprehensive digital service ecosystem providing service users with sustainable, innovative, high-quality services. AI and 5G will profoundly improve remote healthcare delivery.

Personalised treatment will become a reality, as AI can analyse vast amounts of medical data, as well as metrics continuously generated by a patient, to deliver and revise specific treatments based on evolving circumstances.

Manufacturing: The UAE’s strategic approach to achieving sustainable industrial development and enhancing the role of advanced technology is vital for its plan to raise the size of the national economy.

The UAE is adopting several initiatives to enable digital transformation, modernise industrial law, and create an integrated quality infrastructure for the industrial sector. Beyond the well-discussed ability to automate production, optimise supply chains, and increase worker safety, AI will significantly reduce defects, resulting in higher profitability for businesses, better products for users, and less waste for the planet.

Municipalities: In Dubai, the Digital Dubai Authority focuses on fostering a trusted and robust digital ecosystem that supports the digital economy and empowers the digital society. AI and 5G play a very prominent role in enabling this. Given AI’s rapid advancement and innovation potential across a range of fields is incredible, a thorough and open discussion around AI ethics, and the principles of organisations using this, is urgently needed.

Dubai’s Ethical AI Toolkit has been created to provide practical help across a city ecosystem. It supports industry, academia and individuals in understanding how AI systems can be used responsibly. This is especially important as AI is a leapfrog enabler.

Sports and entertainment: Whether it’s a soccer game or a streaming drama series, the combination of AI and connectivity enables the transition from observing the action to being immersed within it. AI enables individuals to select their engagement preferences and algorithms will serve up the requested content appropriate to the available device.

Preparing networks for next-gen AI applications

Making transformative AI advances possible requires telecom operators and enterprises to prepare their 5G and P5G networks for the flood of data and significantly accelerated performance expectations necessary for supporting complex real-time applications.

The most successful companies will team up with networking vendors offering integrated full-stack solutions and look for technology portfolios that include robust support for advanced AI technologies. There are also key nuances for telco operators and enterprises to ensure their 5G and P5G networks are optimised for the AI age:

Telco operators: E&, a telco operator in the UAE released a whitepaper, offering a blueprint for navigating the future of telecommunications with artificial intelligence (AI). Titled Unleashing the Power of AI: How e& UAE is Shaping the Future of AI in Telecommunications and Beyond, it offers an in-depth exploration of the operators UAE’s journey towards becoming an AI-driven organisation, significantly contributing to the nation’s digital future.

To roll out optimised 5G solutions faster, leading telecom operators are already modernising their networks by deploying open radio access networks (Open RAN) and other open solutions that enable transitioning to AI-native infrastructure that is optimised for AI inferencing at the edge. This includes adopting centralised management solutions, such as AIOps for network orchestration and telco core automation software that leverages AI to enhance operational efficiency and responsiveness.

Enterprises: In addition to AI applications that run on telco-operated 5G networks, it’s anticipated that many business cases will also rely on internal enterprise networks that combine P5G and Wi-Fi to support AI data and performance requirements.

Leading enterprise networking providers are developing streamlined and integrated P5G and Wi-Fi infrastructure that enables IT staff and managed services providers to use a single interface for unified provisioning, deployment, management, and security.

Opportunities await

With AI driving rapid changes in the technology landscape, telco operators and enterprises will benefit from the many new opportunities already in the pipeline and yet to be developed.

Having the right 5G and P5G networking solutions in place will enable meeting complex connectivity needs efficiently, effectively, and securely. It’s an active and exciting time for innovation, which will only accelerate in the years to come.

The writer is the regional director – Middle East, Saudi & South Africa, HPE Aruba Networking.