The new Heavy Reading Platforms for Future RAN Systems Operator Survey identifies an expected net positive impact on RAN system power from integrating AI processing.
For new technologies to be adopted, they must provide tangible benefits like better performance, enhanced capabilities, cost savings or improved power efficiency. Ideally, new technologies should deliver some combination of all four benefits. The same is true as the industry seeks to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) processing into the RAN.
The integration of AI into the RAN requires extra investment. There is also a perceived risk that future RAN system platforms that integrate AI processing will increase total RAN power consumption. These issues raise two key questions:
- Does the improved RAN efficiency from using AI offset any extra RAN power usage and the capex of the AI technology?
- Does a shared AI and RAN infrastructure offer opportunities to reduce cost and power versus a discrete implementation?