Telecommunications operators must integrate artificial intelligence into their networks as a strategic priority or risk losing competitiveness in the fast-evolving digital economy, according to network strategist and RF engineer Damilare Olaleye.
Olaleye, who has built his career on transforming raw network data into measurable business outcomes, argued that the industry’s next phase of growth depends on moving beyond automation into predictive intelligence.
He said that operators who continue to treat AI as a technical upgrade rather than a core strategy would face commercial and technological setbacks.“
The industry has spent years automating data collection. “The next leap is automating intelligence,” Olaleye said in a statement on Tuesday. “The goal is to move from describing network behaviour to predicting and preempting it, transforming customer experience from a reactive metric to a designed outcome.”
Olaleye’s perspective draws on his experience in multi-vendor interoperability testing and customer experience management data automation, where he helped reduce churn rates by 22 per cent through advanced analytics.
He noted that AI-driven analytics would be crucial for handling the complexity of open RAN (O-RAN) architectures and dynamically allocated spectrum, both of which are becoming central to modern telecom infrastructure.
He also highlighted the importance of democratising network insights.
“The same tools that allow us to foresee capacity crunches or hardware failures can also empower frontline teams to resolve issues faster, creating a more responsive and agile operational culture,” he explained.
For telecom customers, Olaleye identified personalisation as a critical differentiator in the coming years. He said AI would enable operators to tailor network performance to individual usage patterns, from streaming in crowded stadiums to supporting sensitive applications such as remote surgery. Sustainability, he added, must also be a defining priority.
“Smarter networks are greener networks. By optimising energy use in real time, AI can help operators cut both costs and carbon emissions. The real breakthrough will be when efficiency and environmental responsibility are no longer trade-offs but joint outcomes,” he said.
Olaleye stressed that the integration of AI into networks is no longer optional.
“The competitiveness of tomorrow’s telecom operators will hinge on their ability to embed intelligence into every layer of the network,” he warned, adding, “Those who treat AI as optional will find themselves lagging, not just technologically but commercially.”
