VIAVI partners with Northeastern University to also use AI for city-wide network digital twins
Telcos in general are currently (and have been for some time) undergoing a number of significant transformations. The main transformation is the move to cloud-native 5G standalone and the separation of hardware and software within the RAN. The idea is to build a more efficient, future-ready platform that creates new avenues for service delivery and monetization while reducing costs. That's where AI comes in.
VIAVI Solutions CTO Sameh Yamahany said in a conversation shortly after Mobile World Congress in February that the complexity of today's increasingly automated networks is making it difficult to automate the critical test and measurement processes that VIAVI works with customers on. He said it is already being promoted.
Commenting on this convergence of complexity, Yamany said, “Adding AI and integrating AI both on the network side, the service side, the cloud side, and even the test side presents us with challenges and opportunities. ” he said. He says all of his AI-powered use cases, such as network optimization, monitoring, and troubleshooting, rely on operator data. That data is “fed into AI systems in real time to help improve efficiency and availability.” But before that happens, everything needs to be tested. In addition to working on standardized AI models and testing methodologies, VIAVI is leveraging AI to test AI, Yamany said.
“We are talking about the concept of a digital twin, which actually uses AI to build and mimic complex real-world network situations and facilitate comprehensive testing across diverse scenarios. ” he said. Leveraging existing datasets and developing a testing framework creates a solution that allows you to discover patterns and anomalies during testing, allowing for greater coverage and detecting defects faster. .[AI] We can instantly generate “what if” scenarios that we've never seen or thought of before. ” In that sense, it is “AI that tests AI.”
As part of VIAVI's Programmatic 6G Research Program, in collaboration with Northeastern University's Wireless Internet of Things Institute and Open6G Research Center, the company recently discussed research into city-scale digital twins of 6G networks. This supports AI-based radio frequency propagation and channel modeling. One goal is to incorporate upper-layer KPIs into the digital twin to accurately simulate how changes in network conditions affect application performance.
Another aspect is neural receiver testing, which VIAVI does using a unit developed in-house using open source libraries and proprietary data for the transceiver architecture. The company explains it as follows: “The base station employs AI-assisted constellation design, where the modulation block is replaced by a neural network to design the receiver's customer constellation. …The neural receiver uses different channel models and modulation, It is generalizable to delay and Doppler, signal-to-noise ratio, and other conditions, which is essential for deployment in real systems.”
VIAVI's Ian Wong said the work with Northeastern “has led to breakthrough advances in the use of AI/ML in radio wave propagation modeling.” We believe this research is important in enabling large-scale network digital twins. VIAVI is ready to deliver digital twins given its state-of-the-art network emulation solutions in the lab and network monitoring and optimization solutions in the field that collect data from real operator networks. ”
Commenting on the big picture, Yamany says: “Telcos are exploring how AI-driven solutions can optimize these network and edge resources, deliver service-specific applications that require AI, and support innovative use cases. I believe that the integration of AI technology is enabling many carriers today to address complex challenges, improve operational efficiency, and provide innovative services to their customers. We understand the value of AI. It's a buzzword, but at the same time we're seeing good examples of how AI can help networks in general.”
To learn more from VIAVI on this topic, watch the webinar “Telco AI: Defining your strategy and use cases on the path to closed-loop automation.” Also check out his Telco AI Deep Dive series of one-on-one executive interviews where he brings together different perspectives to analyze how AI fits into the world of communications.
