Global Telcos Join Forces to Develop Customized Language Models
Five major telecommunications companies have come together to establish a joint venture aimed at building large language models (LLMs) customized to meet the specific needs of the industry and to support multiple languages. The telcos involved in this collaboration are SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, e& Group, Singtel, and SoftBank, with a combined global customer base of 1.3 billion across 50 markets.
The new entity, to be set up this year, will focus on developing LLMs designed to enhance telcos’ engagement with customers through AI-powered digital assistants and chatbots. These models will be tailored for languages used in the telcos’ domestic markets, including German, Japanese, Arabic, Korean, and English, as well as others like Bahasa Indonesia to facilitate their deployment in Southeast Asia.
Considering the diverse subscriber base of the participating telcos, with Singtel Group reaching 770 million subscribers in 21 markets, Deutsche Telekom serving 250 million subscribers in 12 markets, and e& Group catering to 169 million subscribers in 16 markets, the development of telco-specific LLMs is expected to significantly improve customer service offerings.
According to a statement released by the companies, telco-specific LLMs are better equipped to understand user intent within the telecommunications domain compared to general-purpose LLMs. These specialized models will be trained on telcos’ customer service data, ensuring they can accurately respond to industry-specific queries and provide personalized customer experiences.
Advancing AI Transformation in Telecommunications
The deployment of telco-specific LLMs is seen as a crucial step in accelerating the AI transformation of various telco business and services, particularly in the realm of customer service. By integrating these advanced language models, telcos aim to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and potentially uncover new business models.
SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang highlighted the importance of developing tailored LLMs for the telco industry, emphasizing the potential for efficiency gains and the redefinition of customer relationships. Similarly, Claudia Nemat, Board Member for Technology and Innovation at Deutsche Telekom, noted that integrating telco-specific LLMs will make their chatbot more human-centric and personalized.
With the telecommunications sector evolving rapidly due to advancements in AI and automation, the collaboration between these global telcos represents a significant milestone in leveraging technology to meet the growing demands of customers. By harnessing the power of customized language models, telcos can enhance customer interactions, improve service delivery, and drive innovation in the industry.
As the joint venture moves forward with its plans to develop and deploy telco-specific LLMs, the future of customer engagement in the telecommunications sector looks promising, with AI playing a central role in delivering enhanced and personalized experiences.
