In an interview with RCR Wireless News, Tay Yeow Lian, managing director of networks at Singtel Singapore, said that companies must be positioned to capitalize the potential of AI to elevate customer experiences, improve productivity and drive revenue growth
Singaporean operator Singel aims to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operations and customer experience as the technology advances, Tay Yeow Lian, managing director of networks at Singtel Singapore, told RCR Wireless News.
“We’re always looking for ways to get more out of technology – especially in the areas of AI and machine learning. Singtel has been using AI for many years in various ways from improving network performance and operations to customer experience. But we want to do more with the technology as it advances,” the executive said.
Last year, Singtel, together with 21 global telcos, formed the GSMA Open Gateway framework and initiated a federated and interoperable framework with open standard application programming interfaces (APIs) to accelerate the development and growth of services in areas such as fintech, identity, smart mobility, gaming and Web3. “The framework enables digital service providers and mobile network operators across the world to seamlessly develop open APIs for third-party developers and app providers, catalyszng innovation and faster adoption of new technologies like AI,” said Yeow Lian.
“Having laid that groundwork, we looked into doing more with all the customer data that we have. Building an large language model (LLM) can be capital intensive, so we decided it made more sense to do this as a group. We have partnered with SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, e& and Softbank to form the Global Telco AI Alliance to accelerate the development of LLM and use of AI in telcos,” the executive added.
Under the joint venture, Yeow Lian explained that Singtel is co-developing an LLM to improve its customer interactions via digital assistants and chatbots, which will be available in Korean, English, German, Arabic and Bahasa to serve the 1.3 billion customer base across 50 countries which cover the founding parties’ respective markets. “We plan to include more languages within the LLM and cover more markets in the future,” the executive said.
He also noted that Singtel is using GenAI with the aim of improving customer and employee engagements, with AI-assisted chatbots that provide real-time support – providing resolutions, based on chat history, and personalized recommendations to cross-sell to customers. “The chatbots also help to automate repetitive tasks such as providing call summaries, freeing agents up to address more complex customer issues,” Yeow Lian said.
He went on to say that AI also plays a key role in streamlining Singtel’s operating efficiency, network optimization and management. “We operate AI-powered base stations that handle troubleshooting and maintenance assessments as well as automatically switch off radios during low traffic periods to conserve energy,” he said.
“Additionally, we’re looking into using AI and machine learning to better identify and diagnose potential scam messages, review URL, and identify language used within messages so that the network can then take the appropriate action – such as blocking the message or sending an advisory message to the user to take action. We’re still refining the process and will deploy this in due course,” said Yeow Lian.
He added that the telco also plans to deploy next-generation AI/ML-powered firewalls which will be able to determine if the site is genuine or malicious, so that users will be ready for Zero Day attacks.
“AI is a powerful tool that we see not as a disruptor, but as a means to transform the way industries operate. Companies must be positioned to capitalize on its potential to elevate customer experiences, improve productivity, and drive revenue growth,” Yeow Lian added.
