MediaTek believes that embedding agentic AI into home gateways could transform customer support and reduce costs for service providers
The evolution from traditional AI to agentic AI marks a turning point in how we build, deploy and interact with intelligent systems. Traditional AI has long been defined by pattern matching — simply responding to input with pre-trained results without understanding context. Then, in 2023, we were all introduced to generative AI (gen AI), which brought contextual understanding and content creation, enabling more dynamic, human-like interaction. But now, agentic AI is changing the game again.
Agentic AI systems don’t just answer questions — they understand goals, make decisions, have access to data, execute across tools and adjust dynamically, often without direct human input. It’s AI that acts more like an autonomous assistant than a reactive tool.
“Agentic AI takes generative AI one step further,” said James Chen, vice president of product and technology marketing at MediaTek. “Just as the name suggests, it’s like having an agent living inside a computer… it’s basically a coordinator.”
Think of it this way: Agentic AI understands your calendar, your location, your apps and your preferences. You could tell your phone, “I need to catch a flight,” and the system could proactively book your ride, monitor traffic, and send a reminder when it’s time to leave. It interprets the intent and builds a task flow to accomplish your goal — end to end.
While consumer use cases are promising, Chen noted they’re often hard to monetize. The enterprise and B2B use cases, such as those related to broadband operators, however, present clearer ROI. MediaTek is exploring agentic AI applications like device log summaries, predictive outages, DDoS detection and access point diagnostics —solutions that also reduce operational costs.
The home gateway is a great example. Currently, this device acts almost exclusively as a broadband pipe, according to Chen. It provides internet access but little else. “Service providers are on a mission to figure out how to expand beyond this. A very simple way to do it? Put the agentic AI framework inside the gateway,” he said.
Today, if a user wants to optimize their network for video calls or troubleshoot a connectivity issue, they often have to log into a web interface, dig through menus and manually change settings. “That’s not very smart,” Chen added. “The idea is that I should be able to text my gateway and say ‘Hey, between the hours of six and nine tonight I need you to make sure the Wi-Fi network is optimized for video calls,’ and it should reply ‘Oh thank you, I got you.’ Done. That’s a smart device.”
Through a simple chat in the broadband provider’s app, users could interact directly with an intelligent agent living inside their internet gateway. The benefits for users are clear — but the operator may benefit even more.
The payoff for operators is significant. “Two-thirds of call center traffic is Wi-Fi related, and 80% of those are for minor things like ‘What’s my SSID?’” Chen explained. “Each call costs the operator about $10-$15 per hour. These are cost centers, not profit centers.” And if the call center can’t resolve the issue? The operator has to dispatch a technician — an even more costly option.
If agentic AI resolves even 30% of those calls, the cost savings would be substantial. “It’s worth its weight in gold,” he added.
Home networking, though, is just one example. MediaTek is already working with operators on proof-of-concept agentic AI trials in home security and home safety. In one example, agentic AI could detect someone stealing a package based on contextual cues from a live security camera — unlike traditional AI, which simply sees a person and a package. “Agentic AI will know the person is not wearing an Amazon uniform or is covering his face,” Chen said. In another, agentic AI can recognize that a child is wandering towards the pool and send a proactive alert before tragedy strikes.
While the technology is ready, Chen said monetization remains a question: “Is that service worth five dollars a month or something else? They’re not sure how to sell it — but the technology has the capabilities.”
Agentic AI is no longer just a concept. The question now is who will implement it — and how operators will turn it into a competitive edge, transforming themselves from a broadband provider to a provider of Agentic AI services.
