AI Use in Communications Networks Could Use a Policy Push: Cisco
Greater adoption of AI could result in sizable benefits for communications networks, and various policy approaches could facilitate that effort, Analysys Mason's Andrew Daly said Tuesday. The consultancy this week issued a Cisco-commissioned paper that laid out a variety of AI policy opportunities. It urged ongoing tracking of AI developments in communications, assistance in coming up with AI frameworks and standards, investment in AI-related R&D, and incentives such as tax breaks.
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A panel discussion Tuesday featured Daly and others discussing numerous benefits that AI tools could bring to networks, including its utility in anomaly detection and root cause analysis, as well as in predictive maintenance. AI could also be beneficial in optimizing wireless networks, including dynamic allocation of spectrum and beam forming, Daly said.
But greater use of AI in communications networks faces a variety of challenges, Daly said. Those include networks teams not trusting AI to influence the operation of their systems and staff expertise matters, with communications network providers typically being staffed by network experts and not data scientists and code debuggers, he said. The paper said there could be regulatory hurdles to AI use in communications networks as well but didn't give specific examples. It pointed to efforts around the globe to boost AI skills, from the training programs under the Singapore National AI Strategy 2.0 to the Pan-Canadian National AI Strategy putting money toward development of academic research talent and maintenance of training centers in national AI institutes.
Kate Harper, House Communications Subcommittee chief counsel, said that panel sees significant AI potential in areas related to broadband connectivity, such as greater efficiencies through network traffic management and better reliability and security for those networks. She said the U.S. has been at the forefront of cutting-edge technology in part because of its regulatory approach to that tech. Subcommittee members are hesitant to impose AI use restrictions while the technology is still maturing, she said.
Development of AI used to secure U.S. networks needs to come from "the right countries and the right partners," Harper said, adding that use of AI models like China-based DeepSeek raises security concerns. House subcommittee members are impressed with DeepSeek's quality, which is "also a big concern." It's also a sign China is looking to dominate AI, she said.
Bill Davenport, Cisco's senior director-technology and innovation, said AI also could play a role in cheaper broadband infrastructure buildouts, which would make both private-sector and government funding for those buildouts go further. In addition, he said AI is good at differentiating cyberattack traffic from unusual-but-benign traffic on a network -- something that's tough for humans to do, given the huge amount of data traffic on networks.