Comsol, a leading provider of business-only fixed wireless access in South Africa, highlights the importance of AI at the edge powered by licensed private networks for addressing latency, security, and compliance challenges in the enterprise sector.
AI has become a top priority for enterprises in South Africa , presenting numerous opportunities for enhanced efficiency and innovation. However, organizations grapple with concerns regarding data sovereignty, security, compliance, and the impact of latency on AI application performance. AI at the edge, facilitated by licensed private networks , emerges as a promising solution for the future of AI-driven businesses.
This perspective is championed by Gary Woolley, Chief Commercial Officer at Comsol, a leading provider of business-only fixed wireless access in South Africa. Woolley posits that AI at the edge, where AI applications are hosted on devices themselves or in localized, satellite data centers, effectively addresses latency and compliance challenges. He emphasizes the critical role of robust network infrastructure in realizing the full potential of AI, requiring low latency, high throughput, and unwavering reliability. Woolley argues that licensed private networks offer a compelling solution to data security and latency concerns. Operators possessing licensed spectrum are better equipped than other connectivity providers to deliver the bandwidth, performance, and security essential for AI applications. He explains that licensed spectrum grants full control over the network environment, akin to owning a highway. With unlicensed spectrum, connectivity is subject to contention or traffic, akin to peak hour congestion. In contrast, licensed spectrum allows for prioritization of traffic lanes, such as dedicating a lane for real-time AI decision-making while managing other traffic accordingly. This level of control and service level agreements (SLAs) is paramount for demanding AI applications.Comsol, as South Africa's only mmWave 28GHz MEF 2.0 compliant wireless national wholesale open access network (WOAN), holds the largest contiguous 28GHz spectrum allocation in the country. Furthermore, it has secured 60MHz of 3.7GHz spectrum, positioning itself at the forefront of the local 5G private networks landscape. Comsol's networks not only support AI in end-user environments but also leverage AI to enhance service quality. Woolley highlights the use of AI within their telecommunications network for predictive maintenance and traffic pattern analysis. Guaranteed performance will become increasingly critical as AI is deployed in mining, industrial settings, and mission-critical enterprise environments. Woolley emphasizes the importance of network reliability in industries where AI is used for applications like reducing harm in mining environments. He notes that industrial sites and mines rely on AI for predictive maintenance and avoiding over-maintenance of heavy machinery. AI empowers these industries to analyze trends, receive alerts, optimize environments, mitigate risks and costs, and ultimately improve profitability
AI Edge Computing Licensed Private Networks South Africa Business Network Infrastructure Latency Data Security Compliance 5G Industrial Automation Mining Enterprise Applications
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