Vodafone Idea CTO says AI-driven RAN faces cost hurdle
- Vodafone Idea CTO Jagbir Singh said AI-driven radio access networks have potential benefits but face cost challenges.
- Singh compared AI-driven RAN infrastructure needs to AI data centers that require GPUs, CPUs, and fibre.
- The comments point to cost as a constraint on applying AI more widely in mobile network infrastructure.
Vodafone Idea CTO Jagbir Singh said AI-driven radio access networks (RAN, the part of a mobile network that connects devices to cell sites) have potential benefits but face cost challenges, according to comments reported on April 27, 2025. He said the infrastructure needed for AI in networks can raise costs significantly.
Singh compared AI-driven RAN requirements to large AI data centers that need expensive infrastructure, including GPUs, CPUs, and fibre. The report did not specify deployment timelines, spending figures, or named vendors, but it identified cost as the main issue in scaling AI use in RAN.
AI is becoming a larger part of telecom network planning and operations, including RAN optimization, automation, and energy management. Vodafone Idea's comments add to a broader industry discussion about whether the performance gains from AI in mobile networks can justify the added infrastructure cost.
Related Questions
- What is AI-driven RAN?
- AI-driven RAN is the use of artificial intelligence in the radio access network, the part of a mobile network that links user devices to cell towers. In this case, Vodafone Idea's CTO said it has potential benefits but also significant cost challenges.
- Why did Vodafone Idea say AI-driven RAN is expensive?
- Because it can require infrastructure similar to AI data centers. Vodafone Idea CTO Jagbir Singh said GPUs, CPUs, and fibre increase the cost of deploying AI-driven RAN.
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