Advancing Telecom Intelligence: Huawei’s iMaster NCE Vision

  • The 21st Huawei Global Analyst Summit showcased the theme “Thrive with Intelligence,” focusing on insights and strategies for the intelligent world.
  • Huawei’s Stephen Shao introduced the concept of “One Map and One Master” within iMaster NCE, aiming to foster collaboration for innovative solutions in Autonomous Network (AN) Level 4.
  • FBB operators face challenges in evolving towards AN L4 due to low automation levels and service inefficiencies, necessitating the integration of large language models (LLMs) into network intelligence.
  • Huawei advocates prioritizing digital transformation and leveraging AN through LLMs and advanced technologies for End-to-End (E2E) FBB solutions.
  • The iMaster NCE network digital map serves as a comprehensive tool for network visibility and management, complemented by an FBB LLM based on Huawei’s accumulated corpora and patented algorithms.
  • China Mobile Guangdong’s collaboration with Huawei has led to the development of Net Master, an LLM application that simplifies fault diagnosis and closure, reducing Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Main AI News:

The 21st Huawei Global Analyst Summit convened in Shenzhen, China, from April 17 to 19, under the banner of “Thrive with Intelligence”. Its mission was to disseminate insights and strategic perspectives on the intelligent world, scrutinizing the evolution and metamorphosis of industrial intelligence. Stephen Shao, Vice President of Huawei’s General Development Department, articulated the vision of “One Map and One Master” encapsulated in iMaster NCE. He underscored Huawei’s commitment to forging partnerships with more operators to craft innovative solutions for Autonomous Network (AN) Level 4, propelling towards Highly Autonomous Networks for fixed broadband (FBB).

In the dynamic landscape of digital transformation, FBB operators confront a myriad of challenges in ascending towards AN L4. These obstacles include inadequate levels of automation and intelligence, inefficiencies in network planning, construction, optimization, and maintenance, as well as uncertain service experiences. The clamor for integrating large language models (LLMs) into network intelligence is on the rise. However, the efficacy of LLMs hinges upon their integration with a robust digital foundation.

Thus, the imperative lies in prioritizing digital transformation and subsequently harnessing AN through the utilization of LLMs and other cutting-edge technologies. A comprehensive End-to-End (E2E) FBB solution, amalgamating a precise digital substrate with a sophisticated LLM tailored for the communications sector, stands as the conduit to achieving AN L4. The digital substrate can be likened to a navigational map application, with the LLM assuming the mantle of the decision-making master. This fusion of “One Map and One Master” emerges as indispensable.

Huawei’s “One Map” epitomizes the iMaster NCE network digital map, furnishing comprehensive visibility across FBB networks and services. It furnishes pivotal data spanning from network to application layers, enabling awareness of network service status and facilitating real-time data collection. This suite of advanced functionalities facilitates the digital transformation journey for operators, endowing them with unparalleled insights and a dependable foundation for decision-making under the aegis of LLMs.

The “One Master” facet of iMaster NCE is an FBB LLM predicated on the foundation of the “One Map.” The efficacy of a model is contingent upon its corpus. Over the years, Huawei has cultivated a symbiotic relationship with global operators, amassing copious corpora germane to the communication industry through expert experiences and documentation for solution development, testing, and user guidance. Leveraging these high-quality corpora and over 20 key patented algorithms, Huawei has bolstered the capabilities of LLMs. Noteworthy among these algorithms is the TLHF algorithm, which expedites the comprehension of network APIs by LLMs, alongside the chain of thoughts for communication and reflection algorithm, augmenting the accuracy of multi-API orchestration. These algorithmic innovations have catalyzed the development of advanced and specialized LLMs in the telecommunications domain.

The iMaster NCE network digital map boasts widespread adoption, counting over 50 operators globally as users. Since 2019, Huawei has collaborated with China Mobile Guangdong on network digital transformation endeavors. Leveraging the digital network map, China Mobile Guangdong has devised an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) paradigm for the SPN 5G bearer network. iMaster NCE autonomously conducts correlation analyses of services dispensed by base stations with poor Quality of Experience (QoE), pinpointing fault locations with precision and furnishing tailored troubleshooting remedies for network quality issues. These functionalities substantially elevate customer satisfaction levels and expedite the transition of the SPN bearer network from a mere service bearer network to a production network. The industry has witnessed remarkable strides, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Drawing from the iMaster NCE network digital map and harnessing core technologies in the FBB domain, China Mobile Guangdong has birthed Net Master, heralded as the telecommunications sector’s maiden LLM application. This application spans all telecom Q&A scenarios, boasting exceptional intent comprehension and fault self-diagnosis capabilities.

During fault diagnosis, Net Master orchestrates conversational interactions grounded in intents within fault scenarios, encompassing intelligent Q&A and flexible search functionalities. This application streamlines network configuration and troubleshooting endeavors, curtailing the Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) from hours to minutes. In the fault closure realm, intent-based APIs furnish mobile applications with real-time access to network resources and fault intelligence, rendering the entire troubleshooting process transparent and manageable. This leads to significant cost savings in site visits and reduces the average fault response time by a noteworthy 83%. Net Master has been deployed across 13 cities in Guangdong province, continuing to underpin customers’ strides toward business triumph.

Stephen Shao emphasized, “Huawei’s iMaster NCE, with its ‘One Map and One Master’ paradigm, lays the groundwork with the most advanced digital foundation and subsequently deploys the most professional LLM in the telecom domain, ushering in automated network decision-making, seamless service configuration, real-time traffic optimization, early risk detection, and swift fault rectification in the FBB sphere. This empowers operators to hasten towards AN L4 and expedite digital transformation.”

Conclusion:

Huawei’s iMaster NCE initiative signals a pivotal shift in the telecommunications market towards advanced intelligence and automation. By prioritizing digital transformation and fostering collaboration for innovative solutions, Huawei is poised to empower operators to accelerate towards Autonomous Network (AN) Level 4, thereby driving the industry towards enhanced efficiency, reliability, and customer satisfaction.

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