In an exclusive WinWin interview hosted by Telecom Review, du's pioneering role in the telecom industry's transformation was spotlighted. As a frontrunner in innovation, the company is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and cutting-edge digital solutions to reshape the landscape.
Dr. Mahmoud Sherif, Head of Innovation and Technico Business Development at du, expanded on how these technologies are driving the company’s strategic direction and revolutionizing the telecom sector.
Adding a unique dimension to the conversation, WinWin, an AI agent, offered fresh perspectives on how the convergence of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and AI creates new opportunities for telecom operators and industries worldwide.
Driving Innovation: Key Enablers at du
Dr. Sherif started the discussion by highlighting the five key enablers driving the company's innovation efforts to meet its customers' evolving needs.
He noted that the first enabler is 5G-Advanced, explaining that, "du is leading the region in deploying ultra-fast, low-latency networks that power applications like fixed wireless access (FWA). This technology supports smart homes, gaming, and enterprise solutions with unprecedented connectivity and reliability."
The second enabler, according to Dr. Sherif, is AI Integration. "As we all have seen, AI is actually driving forward technology in our domain," he noted. "AI drives du's personalized product offering, enabling predictive solutions, dynamic product recommendations, and enhanced retention strategies. AI also powers gaming optimization, delivering lag-free, immersive experiences."
Dr. Sherif then shifted the focus to the third enabler: Innovative Consumer Propositions. "We've had success with our Gaming Propositions, which recognize the growing demand for low-latency and high-speed gaming," he explained. "du has launched specialized gaming packages and services optimized for professional-level gameplay."
Regarding business solutions, Dr. Sherif highlighted the fourth enabler: Innovative Enterprise Propositions, particularly spotlighting du’s mobile private networks and software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) offerings. "du is providing enterprises with secure, scalable solutions that cater to industries like logistics, healthcare, and smart manufacturing," he said. "This way, we are enabling real-time operations and data control."
Finally, Dr. Sherif concluded with the fifth enabler: Innovative Digital Solutions. "du has recently launched du Pay, which includes digital payments," he explained. "du has been very successful in the UAE in the fintech space, offering its secure, multilingual, digital wallet, which facilitates international money transfers, bill payments, and peer-to-peer transactions."
By focusing on these five areas, du is ensuring it stays ahead of customer expectations, driving innovation across the consumer, enterprise, and government segments.
AI’s Role in Telecom Transformation
Dr. Sherif delved into AI's growing importance in the telecom sector, categorizing AI's value into two key areas: monetization and optimization.
In terms of monetization, Dr. Sherif identified three distinct areas impacting both telcos and the broader industry. Firstly, he highlighted the advent of AI-powered devices, such as smart home devices, which are becoming essential for telecom operators looking to monetize beyond traditional telco solutions. He emphasized, "Embedding AI within smart home devices is an area that each telecom operator needs to look at."
The second monetization opportunity is offering AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS). This model allows telecom operators to assist customers who are eager to use AI but are unsure how to deploy it. "Telcos can really do the job in an excellent manner,” added Dr. Sherif.
The third monetization opportunity caters to the marketing sector. Dr. Sherif explained that AI-powered customer value management (CVM) platforms, as used by du, enable highly personalized offerings by analyzing individual customer needs. Integrating AI enhances customization, ensuring tailored packages and services, making it a crucial tool for advancing monetization.
In terms of optimization, Dr. Sherif discussed how AI enhances processes, networks, and sales channels. He explained that AI improves internal systems, optimizes network performance, and enhances customer interactions through virtual assistants. "We've seen a plethora of use cases where AI is playing a great, and crucial, role in optimizing the network in many ways," he shared. “AI is a very pertinent topic that's very dear to my heart. And like I said, we have five opportunities as telcos to move forward with AI.”
Business Growth Drivers at du
Dr. Sherif highlighted several key growth drivers that have propelled du forward in the telecom sector. A primary driver is AI-powered customer engagement. He explained that du is leveraging AI to facilitate a hyper-personalized customer experience (CX), which can drive revenue growth through tailored product recommendations and predictive tools such as churn management and dynamic campaign optimization. “By leveraging AI, we can deliver meaningful engagement, enhance customer loyalty, and maximize value across all segments,” emphasized Dr. Sherif.
Another important factor driving du's growth is its focus on innovative products. Dr. Sherif noted that businesses "cannot have legacy products anymore,” adding that entities must “find the market’s customer pain points and then attack them with a suitable solution.” He further shared that the solution “must be simple, so the customer knows that the product is designed to deal with a segment gap and a specific pain point."
Dr. Sherif touched on the rise of new business models in the telecom industry, insightfully highlighting a noticeable shift. "We've seen that telecom operators are now trying to evolve into digital ecosystem enablers by offering integrated solutions, such as fintech," he explained.
“We also see that the application programming interface (API) business, known as the API economy at du, is an excellent opportunity for all telco operators. Other areas—such as smart homes, the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) marketplace, and mobile product network—are all in our roadmap, and we foresee that this shift will unlock new revenue streams and enhance customer experience,” concluded Dr. Sherif.
du’s strategic focus on AI, 5G, and innovative digital solutions is reshaping the telecom landscape and positioning the company as a leader in the industry. As Dr. Sherif highlighted, these advancements are driving operational efficiency, unlocking new growth opportunities, and enhancing customer experiences across various sectors.
