• Telenor develops agentic AI with Ericsson 
• Network API venture Aduna adds another telco supporter
• Elisa adopts new brand for international software push

In today’s industry news roundup: Telenor is exploring the potential of agentic AI with Ericsson to help automate its RAN; Malaysia’s CelcomDigi is the latest mobile operator to spy a pot of gold at the end of the network APIs rainbow; Finland’s Elisa has adopted a new brand for its software products units in an effort to boost its international business opportunities; and much more!

Telenor and Ericsson have co-designed a proof of concept for an agentic AI system that “learns to optimise capacity and corresponding power consumption of the radio access network (RAN),” the operator announced, noting that the simulated results indicate that a reduction in energy usage for radio units of up to 4% could be achieved by using the AI agent, which is able to make decisions and implement actions autonomously. “This is a truly exciting innovation in our field, which has been made possible by training AI agents on real-world data in a simulated environment, following Telenor’s live RAN parameters,” stated Vegard Tingstad, head of mobile access at Telenor Norway. Telenor and Ericsson are collaborating on RAN automation and optimisation, 5G positioning, private networks and explainable AI in mobile networks. The collaboration includes the potential use of rApps, RAN automation applications that can run on the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform, which includes a non real-time RIC (RAN intelligent controller). Cathal Kennedy, Telenor’s acting group CTO, noted: “The most exciting aspect of this partnership is that it enables us to accelerate our own innovations by harnessing collective intelligence and broader partner ecosystems to bring successful innovations faster to market. rApps and Ericsson’s open network management and automation platform are important assets facilitating it,” he added. 

Malaysia’s CelcomDigi is the latest mobile operator to broker a partnership with Aduna, the network APIs venture that was formed last year by Ericsson and a host of major telcos. “Through the collaboration, CelcomDigi is set to spur the adoption of common network APIs, empowering developers and enterprises with advanced, global-scale network capabilities,” noted Aduna in this announcement. “CelcomDigi will offer developers seamless access to enhanced network API solutions such as Number Verification and SIM Swap services, unlocking new possibilities for fraud mitigation, security, and seamless connectivity,” it added. CelcomDigi’s deputy CEO, Albern Murty, stated: “We are committed to enabling a 5G-AI-powered digital ecosystem that fuels innovation and enhances digital experiences. Our partnership with Aduna amplifies this commitment by providing developers and enterprises with direct access to advanced network capabilities. By bridging global connectivity with Malaysia’s digital landscape, we are setting the stage for a new era of services innovation, making it easier for businesses to build, scale and deploy new digital solutions that benefit customers nationwide.” 

In order to become “recognised for its deep industrial knowledge, automation expertise, and innovative and practical use of AI,” Finland’s Elisa has consolidated its international software units and businesses, including Polystar, under a single brand, Elisa Industriq, the company has announced. It will also report Elisa Industriq’s financial results as a new segment – International Software Services – in the company’s reports. Elisa, which has long had a dual identity as a technology vendor as well as a network operator, noted: “Elisa Industriq comprises businesses that provide software solutions to improve quality, cut costs, and produce growth in fields such as manufacturing execution, network analytics, supply chain optimisation, and energy management… The Elisa Industriq brand will serve as a shared go-to-market brand for the businesses, showcasing their combined strength, shared vision, and collective ambition for the future,” though each business will also retain its own name alongside the new brand, ensuring continued customer recognition of their solutions. “Elisa Industriq is driven by a shared dedication for creating operational intelligence for our customers,” noted Henri Korpi, executive VP of Elisa Industriq. “By aligning our expertise and combining our capabilities, we are better equipped to offer a broader range of solutions, innovate more quickly, reach new markets and enhance our global presence. This unity allows us to deliver greater value to our customers worldwide. We are now marking this significant step with a unified brand,” added Korpi.

The move came as Elisa outlined its growth expectations for the next few years at its Capital Markets Day, held in London. The service provider expects its revenues and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to grow at more than 4% each for the 2024-27 period, which is fairly healthy for a European operator. It also set its capex-to-sales ratio for the period at a maximum of 12%, which is a few percentage points lower than the telco sector norm. Elisa, which has about 2.8 million customers, recently reported 2024 full year revenues of €2.19bn, up just 0.5% from 2023, and full year EBITDA of €783m, up 3.6%. Watch out for an interview with Elisa’s CEO, Topi Manner, on TelecomTV soon. 

SK Telecom is teaming up with Giga Computing, a leader in liquid cooling technology, and SK Enmove, a specialist in cooling fluids, to jointly develop cooling solutions for AI datacentre solutions. In addition, the South Korean self-styled AI company has forged a strategic partnership with energy-management and automation specialist Schneider Electric to co-develop mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for AI datacentres (AIDCs) to enhance efficiency and sustainability in AI-driven infrastructure. That might all sound a bit dry, but as the digital service provider world shifts towards cloud-based and increasingly AI-enabled platforms, energy-efficiency innovations are going to be increasingly critical. 

A new forecast from analyst firm GlobalData suggests 5G will drive modest but steady growth for the mobile service provider sector in the Asia Pacific region until 2029. It expects the value of mobile communications services revenues in the region to grow from $301.7bn in 2024 to $346.1bn in 2029. The increase will be fuelled by growing mobile data revenues enabled by the ongoing investments in, and expansion of, 5G networks, as the GlobalData team expects these investments to drive demand for high average revenue per user (ARPU) services. According to GlobalData telecom analyst Srikanth Vaidya, “With 5G services launched in almost all developed markets, including Australia, China, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, and set to be launched soon in countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the revenue prospects for mobile data services will remain strong through the forecast period. Operators like Grameenphone, Robi and Teletalk in Bangladesh and Dialog and Mobitel in Sri Lanka, for instance, have conducted 5G network trials in major cities of their respective countries and are gearing up for 5G service rollouts this year.” Government support for 5G expansion will also bolster the mobile data services market in the region, while telecom regulatory bodies and governing authorities in countries including China, India, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan are driving national 5G strategies and action plans that act as guidelines to help the establishment of 5G ecosystems and fuel the expansion of 5G coverage. The action plans include support for initiatives, such as public sector investment in 5G applications, tax incentives for operators, forums to foster industry-government collaboration and innovative licensing provisions to boost spectrum use and reuse. The report reveals that until 2029, at least, China will remain by far the world’s biggest 5G market, with 90% of its mobile users expected to be 5G subscribers by 2029. The country’s three main mobile operators will continue to invest in expanded 5G coverage, while the country’s regulator is introducing measures that will incentivise network operators to expand service coverage across rural areas and industrial parks. Figures from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) show that at the end of 2024, China had deployed 4.19 million 5G base stations, a figure that is expected to grow to 4.5 million by the end of this year. The GlobalData report also reveals that the average monthly data usage of mobile users (excluding voice-only subscriptions) across the Asia Pacific region was 25.1 Gbytes at the end of 2024 but is expected to almost double to 48.6 Gbytes by 2029. 

– The staff, TelecomTV