5G Factor: Telco GenAI's Early Market Impact

In this episode of The 5G Factor, our series that focuses on all things 5G, the IoT, and the 5G ecosystem as a whole, we review the early market inroads and impact that Telco GenAI is delivering. The major takeaways consist of BT Group using Amazon Q's coding companion, Amazon Code Whisperer, to provide GenAI coding assistance to its software engineers, Amazon and Microsoft combining Amdocs amAIz platform and Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to bring verticalized GenAI to telcos, and the debut of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF system that integrates a dedicated 5G AI Processor and 5G-Advanced-ready architecture to achieve key breakthroughs across NB-NTN satellite communications, 6-antenna architecture for smartphones, 6X carrier aggregation, and AI-based mmWave range extension for FWA CPE.

Our analytical review spotlighted:

Amazon CodeWhisperer Shows BT Group Early Benefits. At MWC24, BT Group announced that it deployed Amazon Q's coding companion (Amazon CodeWhisperer) to provide generative AI coding assistance to its software engineers. Specifically, Amazon CodeWhisperer generates code suggestions ranging from snippets to full functions in real time in the customer Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The solution is already providing 15-20 suggestions of code per active user per day for BT Group, with an acceptance rate of 37% by its software engineers who are using the platform. We see this as an encouraging example of the value, efficiency, and support generative AI can offer to a communication service provider (CSP) organization.  

Amdocs and Microsoft Ready GenAI Specifically for CSPs. Amdocs expanded its strategic alliance with Microsoft to further bring verticalized GenAI capabilities to the telecommunications industry, combining Amdocs amAIz platform and Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. The duo has established a dedicated lab and center of excellence to further productize GenAI capabilities with the goal of accelerating adoption of GenAI technologies for CSPs. The collaboration is designed to bolster business outcomes by combining deep expertise in the communications industry with GenAI technology and industry verticalization that can produce carrier-grade business outcomes. Amdocs has built Customer Engagement Platform, which includes multiple copilot products, including sales, order enrichment, care, proposals, and other key functions, like configure price quote (CPQ), which we view as integral to providing an interconnected GenAI-infused experience across the entire CSP organization.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 Ties Together AI and 5G Progress. During MWC24, Qualcomm unveiled its new Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System. The offering features new AI innovations based on a dedicated tensor accelerator to improve data speeds, latency, quality of service (QoS), coverage, location accuracy, spectrum efficiency, power efficiency, and multi-antenna management. it integrates a dedicated 5G AI Processor and 5G-Advanced-ready architecture to achieve what we see as several important industry milestones, including the first 5G modem with fully integrated NB-NTN satellite communications support, 6-antenna architecture for smartphones, 6X carrier aggregation, and AI-based mmWave range extension for fixed wireless access CPE.