Virgin Media O2 is extending its automation programme into mobile, working with Zinkworks to deploy AI monitoring and automation designed to predict and prevent faults and minimise network downtime.
The operator said the move builds on 2 years of experience in its fixed broadband operations, where automation cut repair times by more than a third and reduced the need for engineer visits by 12%.
Deployment will span key parts of the mobile network, including radio access, core systems and network operations, combining real-time network data with automation so issues can be detected and addressed faster, while engineers retain oversight. The initiative is built on Google Cloud and will use services including Gemini and Vertex AI.
Virgin Media O2 CTO Jeanie York said greater automation will help the company “predict and prevent issues”, reducing downtime and improving reliability for customers.
Paul Madden, Chief Executive Officer, Zinkworks, added: operators are looking to harness AI at scale, with the programme aimed at reducing outages and improving performance across United Kingdom mobile connectivity.
