Saudi telecom operator stc group has set a 2030 goal for moving toward an AI-native network, a shift it says could help manage increasingly complex services and reduce manual intervention in network operations.
In its Oct. 19 announcement, stc said its AI Native Core Network White Paper describes three areas of work: infrastructure to run AI, intelligence built into network functions and more automated operations. The announcement did not identify when each element would be deployed.
stc said AI and 5G-Advanced are adding complexity to telecom networks. It said AI-enabled calling and immersive communications need faster, more responsive connections. AI agents, it said, require coordination between communications and computing resources.
The operator expects automation to improve its use of network resources, shorten fault recovery times and reduce manual work. Its announcement gave no spending estimate, quantified reliability target or indication of who would bear the cost of the proposed changes.
The plan follows earlier AI use reported by stc. Its 2024 annual report described network automation during Hajj. The report credited AI optimization with 36 million kilowatt-hours of energy savings across its 4G and 5G networks, a 13% reduction.
At year-end 2025, stc reported 63% 5G coverage across Saudi Arabia and 10,803 live 5G sites. It also reported 99% 4G coverage. Those figures describe its existing network; the Oct. 19 announcement did not tie them to a stage of the 2030 plan.
Huawei has separately proposed an AI-native mobile core to coordinate tasks for AI agents. A 3GPP listing cited in EconoTimes’ earlier coverage did not show that Huawei’s proposal had been adopted.
stc’s Oct. 19 announcement set 2030 as the horizon for its network shift but gave no interim rollout targets or scheduled date for assessing progress.
