Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for decades, but it's only been the last few years where it's really made an impact on business operations.

NEC Corporation today announced that they've developed a new technology, Net2Vec, that brings AI to communication networks. Net2Vec is said to use novel deep learning algorithms that then allow the efficient analysis of users' data in real-time.

What this means is that it contributes to the growth of communications service providers' (CSP) revenue by enabling them to proactively manage customer retention, protect users from threats, identify users' needs and respond with different tariff plans, and monetize network data via advertising.

NEC says that CSPs today face many pressures, which include the maintenance of revenues, among many others.

They are increasingly looked at as data pipes, where revenues are channeled to over-the-top (OTT) players, and average revenue per user (ARPU) fails to grow as expected.

NEC assures that with Net2Vec, the solution provides secure, real-time, scalable analysis of streaming data at 10 Gbps using patented machine learning technology that addresses critical challenges for increasing CSP revenues.

According to NEC, the system works well – including mobile application traffic – even when encountering traditional road blocks like when data is encrypted (HTTPS) or cookies are blocked.

“At present, there are neither any AI solutions to address all of these problems for operators, nor existing solutions optimized for network data,” says Dr Saverio Niccolini, general manager at NEC Laboratories Europe.

“Net2Vec provides an optimized system, tailored to the network, and based on existing deep learning solutions.

The solution is currently available for customer trials, with a system that can run at an operator's premises, collect data and show results.