The AI-5G Race Heats Up

Which wireless carrier is winning the AI-5G race?

As next-gen technology like 5G wireless and AI are brought to market, they are both exciting separately and together. Together, they create something new. They improve quality and reliability, as well we are watching the creation of new growth opportunities. Raising the bar. As Artificial Intelligence begins to entwine, and work with wireless, let us consider what tomorrow will look like and who will win.

First mover advantage vs. fast followers in wireless and AI

Companies who are first to market are known to have the first mover advantage. Next, are companies who are the fast followers. Both can do well in the marketplace, but in different ways.

It is the companies who are not moving at all who could find themselves left behind during this next change wave.

Example, AT&T is a first to market company. They often take non-conventional paths. Sometimes it works, like when they were first to the Apple iPhone. Other times it fails, like when they acquired DirecTV, WarnerMedia assets including CNN, Warner Bros. Studio and more.

Verizon is a fast follower. They don't typically lead the way. They follow first movers. While this typically means they are not first, it does protect them from the slings and arrows of first-movers.

Even when Verizon is quick, like during the past decade along with AT&T, they acquired AOL and Yahoo! So, they can miss as well.

T-Mobile struggled in the marketplace along with Sprint until the past decade. They have finally put themselves on the growth track. Their momentum still looks positive.

Next waves of growth: FWA, wireless broadband, private wireless

Today, we are watching new waves of technology give wireless and telecom new growth opportunities.

Starting with private wireless and FWA or wireless broadband, we have seen new growth and movement as the industry transforms.

Private wireless is when private companies build their own, private network. Wireless broadband is when wireless carriers offer broadband using FWA.

HPE, Juniper Networks, Cisco, Huawei, Extreme Networks and others

Along with the three wireless networks, are an assortment of other providers in a sector. Think HPE Juniper Networks, Cisco, Huawei, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, Arista Network, Extreme Networks and many others.

Now, we are seeing AI kick into a higher gear with different versions, new companies and new gear, shooting for the sky.

In the past few years, we are seeing Nvidia continue to rocket forward with growth. We also see past leaders like Intel and Qualcomm make significant changes in direction to keep up with the changes all around us.

Nvidia, Qualcomm, AMD, Apple, Broadcom, Google, Microsoft and others

All companies are chasing the dream of becoming a leader in the new space of 5G wireless and AI, and both together.

While we do not yet know exactly what the blending of these two different technologies will look like five or ten years from today, we are starting to see real improvements already.

Improvements like using AI to continually scan wireless and wire line networks and find the weak links. To get them fixed before they are noticed. In the past, this would have caused a cascading affect, taking days or weeks to completely resolve after manually re-routing traffic.

AI helps keep wireless networks up and running faster

One key area of improvement is AI in wireless communications. It continually monitors the environment and datasets looking for weaknesses. Then it acts before what would have become a network outage.

Wireless networks use AI to make sure their systems are humming along, rather than always putting out fires as they occur. This new way is faster and more efficient compared to the human element.

In fact, when a problem is discovered, it can often be corrected before it becomes noticeable impacting performance.

Traffic can be quickly rerouted automatically and repaired before the network crashes.

Because of AI, I believe the stability and reliability of networks will dramatically improve going forward. In fact, many may users may never experience a network outage again.

This kind of improvement with one competitor will force all players to follow the similar path. The reason is other carriers cannot let a competitor have an edge.

AI will also create new income opportunities and services

Plus, AI can and will create new services which can increase revenue opportunities and profitability.

Wireline, wireless and mobile networking welcomes AI to make the network operate better and create new earnings potential with new services and fewer issues.

Wireless has gone through various stages of growth and maturity over 50-years.

During the next several years, AI and wireless collaboration and growth will astonish us. Both separately and together. And, as the technology continues to advance, it will also very likely create its own new services.

I expect to see a flurry of new services appear the way Uber did, out of the blue.

So, as AI and wireless continue to advance, expect transformation of industries, sectors and companies. Finding the leaders will be the true challenge.

Benzinga Disclaimer: This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.