Mavenir executive sees AI renewing operator interest in the mobile core
Dejan Leskaroski, Mavenir’s chief revenue officer, says the mobile core has long received less attention than radio coverage and speed improvements. He argues that AI, automation and cloud adoption can help operators generate new services and revenue from infrastructure they already run. He also notes that 5G monetisation was slowed by dependencies across core, radio and devices, while AI-enabled services could work over existing networks.
Dejan Leskaroski, Mavenir’s chief revenue officer, notes that mobile operators have long prioritised radio coverage and speed while giving the core less attention. Yet the core handles mobility management, subscriber authentication, policy enforcement, billing and security once radio access exists.
He says 5G monetisation was complicated by reliance on core, radio and device readiness, plus vendor cooperation. AI and cloud adoption may let operators offer services such as voice translation, stronger security and power savings over existing networks, using core data on subscribers, location and app usage.
If operators adopt AI-enabled core services, consumers and businesses could see more tailored security, voice tools and efficiency features delivered through existing mobile networks. Network teams may gain automation that speeds service assurance, while subscribers may benefit from spam and deepfake detection. Smaller or slower-moving operators could face pressure to modernise, and vendors’ interoperability choices may shape how quickly such services reach users. The societal effect likely depends on deployment pace, transparency and whether benefits extend beyond early-adopting markets.