AI
By Chiazo Ogbolu
Lagos, May 17, 2018 (NAN) Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption will help in making intelligent decisions in the telecommunications industry, an Information Technology expert, Mr Jide Awe, said on Thursday.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, Awe said that such decisions would improve quality of services in the industry.
He spoke on the backdrop of the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day.
NAN reports that World Telecommunications and Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated on May 17 annually.
The 2018 WTISD had the theme: “Enabling the Positive Use of Artificial Intelligence for All’’.
The theme focused on the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Awe said: “Telecommunication is a backbone infrastructure that is leveraged upon. What AI does is to allow it to automate certain tasks that normally require human intelligence.
“It will go beyond the human aspect in terms of data it can keep and also learn from that data.
“AI is a technology that can help the telecommunications industry because a lot of things done manually, with the help of AI, can be analysed and areas to serve better will be determined.”
Awe said that AI would enable telecom operators to channel their resources and work more effectively.
“A lot of things which are done manually will be done faster and easier with the aid of AI analysis.
“Due to the fact that machine will be solely relied upon, it will enable operators to know which equipment needs change, and services that need to be rendered.
Awe urged the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that policies would be well implemented and practical to meet needs.
He said that the licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) should be well monitored.
According to him, the InfraCos are facing challenges that are hindering rollout of infrastructure to aid broadband penetration.
“NCC has done some licensing and has promised to do more, and the work of the InfraCos is to make sure that within zones in the country, some infrastructure will be provided to aid penetration.
“The companies have challenges caused by state governments which impose charges such as right of way that slows the companies down,” he claimed.
He said that rollout should not be looked at as an immediate revenue generation venture but should be allowed to help state economies to grow.
According to Awe, reports have shown that broadband penetration will help an economy to pick up and lead to more competition and production.
“The challenge to penetration is that the environment is quite hostile in rolling out broadband; relevant authorities should look into it,” he said.
Awe, however, said that Nigeria had much to celebrate in its telecommunications industry.
“There have been major achievements though we should have more than what we are having.
“Internet and telecom penetration are somehow growing and we know with time and right policies, things will move better,” he said.
He called for inclusiveness in the industry so that more people would be productive.
“There is need for people to be able to exploit what the industry can offer.
Telecom is not for telephone alone but to make people more competitive and productive,” he said.(NAN)
CAN/BOLA/IGO
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Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Ijeoma Popoola