Matthieu Bourguignon: Using Fibre to Reshape the Industry

Leading telco Nokia and Elisa are continuing their partnership to push the boundaries of optical fibre network technology. Demonstrating European speed records over Elisa’s live commercial network in November 2024, the company is deploying its Lightspan MF solution with the help of Nokia’s fibre solution.

Both companies have been eager to demonstrate how operators can easily upgrade their fibre networks to meet swelling demand for faster and more reliable connectivity. With Elisa, Nokia is aiming to deliver new ultra-broadband services to customers across Finland specifically, but also wider Europe. 

The telco is eager to demonstrate the power of its fibre solution, helping Elisa to deliver faster broadband and improving customer experience across both organisations. 

On this subject, Mobile Magazine speaks exclusively with Matthieu Bourguignon, Senior Vice-President and Head of Europe for Network Infrastructure Business at Nokia. He speaks about Nokia’s partnership with Elisa and how AI and other emerging technologies will continue to be a driving force for improved network speeds.

Why and how is AI driving a ‘need for speed’ in the connectivity sector?

One of the most important trends within the telecoms landscape is the rapid emergence of AI and the impact this is having on the way telecoms networks are run and maintained. The key is the impact AI is having on the sector’s efficiency, enabling network operators to predict and repair faults much more quickly, support better network performance by deciding how and where to allocate resources, manage customer operations more efficiently and secure the networks more robustly. 

However, more recently, there has also been a focus on the use of AI as a revenue generator for operators. The use of AI by an increasing number of consumers will put pressure on networks but this could result in an increase in demand for enhanced network quality for specific AI business use cases. AI could also offer network operators the ability to offer more personalised offerings to end-users, improving customer satisfaction and reducing churn. 

How can AI enhance fibre networks?

AI is aggressively reshaping the telecommunications industry. It optimises network resources, streamlines service operations and revolutionises the customer experience. The emergence of generative AI (Gen AI) and large language models (LLMs) has only intensified this interest. 

Using fibre infrastructure, AI systems can digest data more quickly and make judgments more quickly, thereby enhancing their performance and reducing their risk of errors. Additionally, fibre allows the deployment of more sophisticated AI algorithms to support network operators and allow them to unlock greater opportunities.

As industries such as manufacturing, education, finance, healthcare, transport and government embrace AI-driven mission-critical services, they need robust connectivity to make sure these services can function efficiently. 

This creates significant opportunities for service providers. By building an AI-optimised network infrastructure, operators can develop new revenue-generating services, such as network slicing, that cater to specific industry needs.

But optimising networks for AI comes with technical challenges. AI applications need low latency, high reliability and rapid responsiveness to ensure flawless service. Meeting these requirements will have an impact on a network’s network design, architecture and operations. 

The growing threat of cyberattacks and data breaches is also a big challenge for the AI era. Operators need enhanced security solutions to ensure safe AI deployment across industries that deal with sensitive data.

For the future of fibre, why is this important for telcos to challenge its partners globally to improve network speeds?

From Nokia's side, we see the best results when business works together across borders, industries and sectors using the enhanced connectivity that is being rolled out. The digital economy relies on it. This is why we are seeing such demand globally for increasing network speeds, and why these are important developments in the future of fibre technology.

What role will new and emerging technologies play moving forward?

With their ability to process complex datasets more efficiently, AI, quantum computing and other disruptive technologies will significantly enhance connectivity across various sectors by enabling the rapid optimisation of network configurations and robustness. 

For instance, quantum computing can facilitate faster and more accurate load balancing in networks, which is critical for data center and cloud services that serve as the backbone of modern Internet infrastructure. This optimises network resources and enhances the user experience by reducing latency and preventing bottlenecks. 

With a surging need to improve security across connected systems, AI and machine learning will be able to analyse data patterns to pre-emptively identify and block cybersecurity threats.

Can you tell us about the fibre technology Nokia and Elisa are trialling and how it ensures faster broadband speeds? 

Elisa uses Nokia’s fibre solution to become the first European operator to demonstrate up to 100Gb/s broadband speeds over a live commercial network. Elisa is deploying Nokia’s Lightspan MF solution to enhance its existing fibre network and deliver new ultra-broadband services to customers across Finland. 

The trial builds on Elisa’s current fibre deployment and demonstrates how different PON technologies can be combined on the same fibre to evolve its broadband offerings. The live trial demonstrates how operators can easily upgrade their fibre network to meet the demand for faster, more reliable connectivity. Elisa has deployed Nokia’s Altiplano platform to support 10G XGS-PON deployments and to help automate and improve the management, scalability and reliability of its network.   

This technology will enable Elisa to meet the bandwidth demands of the future, driven by AI, where Bell Labs is forecasting that total AI traffic is projected to reach 91 EB/month by 2030, in Western Europe, alone.

Looking ahead, what should businesses consider regarding the future of high-speed networking?

AI is undeniably the driving force behind the future demands of higher bandwidth networks. Our forecasts from Bell Labs show that total AI traffic is projected to reach 91 EB/month by 2030 in Western Europe alone, solidifying AI's pivotal role in shaping the future of telecommunications and networking.

The surge in demand for high-speed internet access in Europe clearly indicates the market's expectations. End users and enterprises are increasingly seeking reliable, secure, high-quality broadband connectivity, as high bandwidth and low latency are required to support modern AI and machine learning applications. 

Given the continuous need for increased speed, superior performance, and automated functions, the onus is on network providers to futureproof their networks.

It's not just about creating a system for the present. Network providers' primary consideration must be ensuring that their system architecture is futureproof, secure, robust and capable of reconfiguring to meet the increasing demands of not only AI but also the other future applications and services that may evolve in the future.

To read the full article in the magazine, click HERE.

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