How AI Apps Will Strain the 5G Network--and AI Will Fix It

New market research series illustrates the impact of AI on telecoms

CAMPBELL, Calif., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Experts Inc. completed a series of surveys, research reports, and models surrounding the impact of AI on mobile networks this month. This comprehensive exercise looked at multiple aspects of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, from its tendency to create telecom traffic and potentially clog up the 5G network to the ability of AI/ML to add capacity to the 5G network via improved optimization.

The first step in the Mobile Experts analysis was to investigate the adoption of AI assistant applications in smartphones. Initial usage such as ChatGPT has made very little impact on the 5G network, as it sends text or simple photos. Future usage of AI and Augmented Reality applications will drive significantly higher levels of traffic due to the use of video. Mobile Experts modeling indicates that, if high frame rates and resolutions are used, the demand for uplink data will outstrip the capacity of the 5G network in urban areas.

The second step in the research series examines the use of AI/ML to optimize 5G networks, adding capacity by "tuning up" the 5G network for optimal performance. Mobile Experts analysts were able to separate the impact of real-time and non-realtime AI models, getting into the details of channel state estimation, beam coordination, traffic steering, and other algorithms in the 5G network. With a detailed view of how the optimizations will be implemented, the MEXP team was able to quantify the amount of added capacity to be gained in the network, as well as the potential revenue in software, training, compute hardware, and IP licenses.

Third, the Mobile Experts team put both sides together in a model of 5G network demand (separately modeling uplink and downlink demand), compared with a model of 5G network capacity in dense urban areas. This conclusive model is made available to MEXP subscribers as a working Excel model, allowing mobile operators to evaluate the network impact of applications that use higher resolution or frame rate in AI video analysis.

The conclusion: AI assistants and AR will strain the 5G network, but AI-for-RAN optimization will create more capacity than consumer applications will use, at least through 2030. The wild card is in automated use of AI for video analysis, in automotive, drone, and industrial applications. Mobile Experts will be updating the enterprise/IoT impact of AI video over the next two years to watch for another big wave of demand.

"New applications are coming to your smartphone, taking advantage of on-device AI processing capability," said Joe Madden, Principal Analyst. "We have been able to identify which apps will run on your phone, and which ones will require network connectivity.  The frame rates, resolution, and persistence of video inputs will have a profound impact on the 5G network."

"Our research investigates the holistic impact of AI on 5G networks," continued Mr. Madden. "Will AI apps consume all of the bandwidth? Or will AI create more bandwidth in the network? Which impact will be greater? We now have answers."

The Mobile Experts research series includes the results of a consumer survey, evaluation of apps, technical deep-dive analysis, cost analysis, and capacity modeling. Deliverables in the research series include:

• Results of the consumer survey, with a market study and 5-year forecast for Smartphone AI Applications.
• Deep technical evaluation of AI-for-RAN, including detailed analysis of realtime AI optimizations (tied to RAN software) and non-realtime AI (available as rApps).
• Cost analysis of AI-for-RAN implementation in GPU and CPU-based approaches;
• A five-year forecast of GPU, NIC card, software, and training revenue related to AI-for-RAN.
• A working Excel model to illustrate the impact of AI apps on demand, compared with the impact of AI-for-RAN optimization.

Mobile Experts is the only analyst firm capable of this kind of in-depth technical analysis, combined with national network-level modeling of demand and capacity.  Contact Mobile Experts for more details.

About Mobile Experts Inc.:
Mobile Experts provides insightful market analysis for the wireless industry.  More than 150 companies subscribe to Mobile Experts forecasts and contribute to making each prediction as accurate as possible. The team consists of telecom professionals, all trained engineers, that spent 20+ years in product management and other business roles. See the team's background here.

Contact:
Rachel Winningham
4083740690
[email protected]

SOURCE Mobile Experts Inc