A lot has been said and written about the 4th industrial revolution(4IR) which is about to change the world forever. The 4IR is an age of automation, adoption and diffusion of mind-blowing technologies. Beginning with the development and wide use of Robotics, artificial intelligence, Machine language, and augmented and virtual realities amongst others.

We have seen growth in automated technologies in this 3IR, but the 4IR promises to open up a new realm of the wild and wide use of these technologies. By innovation, virtually everything will become automated, requiring fewer humans involved in their processes. One such technology is the intelligent RAN Automation.

What Is This Intelligent RAN Automation And What Does I Have To Offer?
Let us start by knowing what the RAN is –radio access network (RAN) is a major component of a wireless telecommunications system that connects individual devices to other parts of a network through a radio link.

The RAN links user equipment, such as a cellphone, computer or any remotely controlled machine, over fibre or wireless backhaul connection. The link goes to the core network, which manages subscriber information, location and more. Therefore, RAN serves as the backbone which provides connectivity to millions of mobile and internet subscribers in the world, and is crucial for network management.

RANs have evolved from the first generation (1G) to the development of the fourth generation (4G) technology which began in the early 2000s and now diving into the fifth generation (5G) of cellular networking.

Intelligent RAN automation
Intelligent RAN automation is the widespread and increasing use of AI and ML technologies to solve complex network operations problems. RAN stands for radio access network which provides access to and coordinates the management of resources across the radio sites. Intelligent RAN Automation refers to the various technologies, solutions, and services that make use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to reduce complexity and automate repetitious tasks in the RAN.

Intelligent RAN automation was developed to optimize the operational performance and asset efficiency throughout of communication network. It is also set to improve customer experience, accelerate time to market for new services, and reduce operational costs by reducing human tasks with automated functionality.

Intelligent RAN Automation was designed to successfully address ever-changing network demands and increasing complexity and meet the present technological needs through machine
learning. It will also play a critical role in operators’ net-zero journey, which is the efficiency of the radio access network and overall reduction of carbon emissions through many energy-saving solutions. Intelligent RAN energy management will reduce base station power consumption by up to 15%, helping Communications service providers CSPs reach their zero-emission targets.

RAN Automation For 5th Generation Technology (5G)
We are gradually moving into the 5th generation of communication networks. The need for improvement is crucial because the current manual-intensive tools used in driving this 4th generation will be less efficient and effective in managing the complexities of the 5th generation. Intelligent RAN Operations will go beyond automation with machine learning, enabling CSPs to be cost-efficient in the 5G era.

With machine learning, intelligent 5G RAN operations will automate routine network management tasks, autonomously optimizes the radio network and reduces base station energy consumption.

Most network outages are caused by human error; automating operations will help to eliminate these mistakes. Automation can surely help operators to solve situations that may arise in 5G technology by shifting the entire paradigm about critical networks such as automated testing, and optimization of networks.

As I conclude, the rise of these emerging technologies can only be attributed to the shift from the 3IR of digitization to the 4IR of automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence. In the 4IR everything is hyped with all possibilities.