Saudi Arabian telco STC Group announced on Monday that it has deployed an AI-powered self-organizing network (SON) solution from Nokia in its network to automate network optimization.
STC said it implemented Nokia’s MantaRay SON solution during last month’s Hajj season, when over a million pilgrims visited Mecca, which created a 40% surge in network traffic. It marks the first time Nokia has successfully deployed the MantaRay solution on a live network.
The MantaRay SON uses self-configuring AI-powered modules to boost network performance and efficiency. The modules can be built and deployed for specific software applications to address specific operational challenges. In this case, stc worked with Nokia to design a bespoke algorithm for Hajj, providing autonomous network optimization every 15 minutes.
According to a statement from STC, the MantaRay system processed over 10,000 actions during the live network implementation, with an increased utilization rate of around 30% on loaded cells and 10% average improvement on user throughput.
STC Group CTO Haithem Al Faraj said the successful implementation reduced manual work, improved network quality, and paved the way for the future of AI automation in telecoms infrastructure.
“This technology not only minimizes human error and improves quality but also allows networks to operate autonomously and efficiently, while humans remain essential in guiding and maximizing the outcomes from machine learning," he said.
The MantaRay deployment is the latest AI-powered addition to STC’s network. The operator said it has implemented a number of AI solutions to drive digital transformation and sustainable growth.
As an example, STC said, using AI for better energy efficiency has resulted in a 13% reduction in energy consumption across stc’s 4G and 5G networks in 2023. STC also said that AI-powered products will cut across over 200 systems by next year, which it says will save around SAR 2 million (just over US$533,000) annually.
