UK's O2 and Nokia Complete 5G Live Network AI Test, Achieving Approximately 20% Improvement in Spectral Efficiency

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 26, UK telecom operator O2 and Finland's Nokia completed a live test of artificial intelligence radio access network (AI-RAN) functionality on the 5G commercial network in the Paddington area of London, with the test site being O2's Giga Site. The two parties used predictive AI algorithms to optimize radio resource allocation in real time, improving the site's spectral efficiency by up to approximately 20% while also enhancing data throughput performance under high traffic load conditions. Throughout the entire test period, the network continued to provide mobile communication services to existing users.

The AI functionality provided by Nokia runs directly on the radio access network, analyzing real-time network conditions, traffic load, and radio environment changes to predict communication resource demand across different time periods and automatically adjust spectrum and network capacity allocation. Compared with traditional radio resource management approaches that rely on relatively fixed algorithms, the new functionality can continuously adjust resource configuration based on site load changes, reducing manual intervention.

Paddington is one of London's major transport hubs, where mobile communication traffic varies with train passenger flows and user activity. O2 deployed the test at an operational Giga Site, focusing on validating the performance of AI algorithms in complex traffic load environments. Test results showed that the site was able to carry more mobile data using existing spectrum resources, achieving data throughput improvements during high-load periods while maintaining stable network access capability and operational reliability.

This validation is part of O2's £700 million mobile network transformation program. The program aims to improve mobile network coverage, capacity, and operational performance through network infrastructure upgrades, capacity expansion in key areas, and intelligent technology applications. The AI radio resource optimization functionality is one of the technical tests within this program; the related investment amount covers O2's overall network transformation and is not an independent investment for this single trial.

Nokia and Virgin Media O2 signed a new multi-year 5G radio access network cooperation agreement on March 31, 2026, covering AirScale radio access network equipment, Massive MIMO antennas, baseband platforms, and energy-saving software deployment. The two parties also agreed to conduct validation of network automation, AI radio resource management, and 5G-Advanced technologies. The Paddington test completed a live-network validation of one of these AI functionalities.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer of O2, noted that the test validated the ability to use artificial intelligence to improve the utilization of existing spectrum resources. Emma Falck, head of Nokia's mobile networks business, confirmed that the AI functionality has achieved measurable performance improvements in an actual mobile network.