A New Telecom Era Dawns as AI Takes Full Control of the Network (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is moving closer to deploying fully autonomous telecommunications networks, or Level 4 systems, capable of managing and repairing themselves without human intervention, according to a new report released Tuesday.
The Information and Communication Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) said in its latest global AI trends report that competition among major firms—including Nvidia, Ericsson, and Huawei—combined with international standardization efforts led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), is accelerating the commercialization of self-operating communication networks.
A Level 4 autonomous network detects, analyzes, and resolves system issues in real time without human input, marking a shift from conventional rule-based automation to AI-native environments capable of contextual understanding, predictive action, and adaptive decision-making.
Through technologies such as federated learning, AI agents can process complex problems collaboratively across distributed networks—training models locally and sharing updates without transferring raw data—enhancing both privacy and bandwidth efficiency.
Ericsson reported a 20 percent increase in data throughput and a 14 percent gain in energy efficiency through its AI-native Radio Access Network (RAN) technology. Google, using its Gemini platform, has shortened average network recovery time by 25 percent, while Nvidia recently announced a $1 billion investment in Nokia and plans to build the first AI-native wireless infrastructure for 6G in the United States.
“Nvidia completed a fully AI-native wireless stack and achieved the world’s first AI-driven user call within just six months,” the report said, noting the move positions the U.S. to strengthen its technological leadership in the global 6G race.
Experts say the evolution of autonomous networks will redefine the role of telecom operators—from simple service providers to AI-driven solution platforms. Emerging technologies such as network slicing, which divides a single network into multiple virtual ones with independent functions and security controls, are expected to become core assets for telecom firms.
The report also emphasized that AI-native networks will require a new “triple-layer” security framework: protecting AI systems themselves, defending other infrastructure from AI misuse, and using AI to enhance overall cybersecurity. Strengthening digital resilience, it added, will become a defining value of next-generation network ecosystems.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
