Mobile operators embrace AI-based observability

Mobile networks are suffering frequent, costly outages and turning to AI tools to keep systems stable, according to a New Relic survey of 500 telecom and technology professionals. The report found 57% of mobile operators and 27% of tech organisations face high-impact outages every week, costing around $2 million per hour for operators and $1.6 million for tech companies. For telcos, the report warns, failures can trigger regulatory action and affect public safety, not just revenue and operations.

To manage this risk, 74% of mobile operators have already adopted AI-based observability, well above the 54% global cross-industry average. Among IT teams, fewer than 52% currently use AI monitoring, but 94% plan to within three years. Technology companies mainly chase operational efficiency (43%) and better uptime and reliability (40%), while mobile operators prioritise improved system uptime (38%) and developer productivity (32%). Around 42% of operators and 49% of tech organisations plan to train staff on observability platforms, underscoring that, as New Relic’s Nic Benders notes, telecoms and IT are pursuing different paths toward more mature monitoring rather than following a single standard model.