As one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies, Vodafone brings deep expertise in mobile and broadband networks, combined with a forward-looking commitment to artificial intelligence (AI) and open radio access networks (Open RAN). Together, Vodafone and the AI-RAN Alliance share a vision of mobile networks that are smarter, more efficient, and more adaptable for the future.

We spoke with Marco Zangani, Director of Network Strategy & Architecture, and Lucía de Miguel, Senior Manager of Open RAN: Digital, Software and System Development in Network Strategy & Architecture at Vodafone, to learn more about how their work connects with the mission of the Alliance.

A Legacy of Innovation in Networks

Vodafone’s role in global telecommunications is well established. The company provides mobile, fixed, and broadband services to millions of customers across multiple markets, with a history of introducing and optimizing new radio technologies from the first mobile call and SMS text message and space-based video call to an unmodified smartphone. For Marco, who has been with Vodafone since 1996 this journey in the development and innovation of mobile networks has prepared the ground for the scale of transformation underway in today’s networks.

“In the past, each generation of radio access network (RAN) presented its own engineering challenge. Today, with 2G to 5G technologies coexisting, combined with advanced features such as Massive MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) and beamforming, complexity has increased. AI is becoming the necessary step to manage it. AI will also have impact in network traffic, as well as for customer applications,” Marco explains.

Building AI Into the Heart of the Network

Vodafone has been deploying AI features for RAN since 2017 These features focus on power optimization, traffic management, and overall network performance improvement, and are the impetus for having AI in all the network.

Lucía highlights the importance of RAN automation, to empower networks to self-configure, predict and prevent failures, and optimize in real time, reaching automatic networks. in practical terms: “AI allows networks to predict and even prevent failures, configure themselves automatically, and optimize in an effective way.”

This approach fits well with Vodafone’s commitment to using AI broadly and responsibly,” Lucía notes.

Why the AI-RAN Alliance Matters

Vodafone has long played a role in industry collaborations and standardizations, from the O-RAN Alliance to the Telecom Infra Project (TIP). Joining the AI-RAN Alliance builds on these commitments while sharpening the focus on AI’s potential in RAN.

“Industry-wide cooperation is essential. AI can transform mobile networks, optimizing investments, improve energy efficiency, and unlock new services — but these benefits only scale if we work together to define common approaches,” Marco says. “The AI-RAN Alliance provides the right initiative to align on those goals.”

Vodafone is already engaged in several working groups, including AI-for-RAN, AI-and-RAN, and AI-on-RAN, with contributions spanning performance enhancement, cloud-based evolution, and disruptive applications such as integrated sensing and communication(ISAC).

A Future Shaped by Intelligent Networks

Looking ahead, Vodafone sees major opportunities for AI in RAN over the next five years. These include:

• AI-native RAN architectures at scale: Designing networks that embed intelligence from the start.
• Energy efficiency and sustainability: Using AI to optimize power consumption and reduce environmental impact.
• Real time optimization of complex radio features: Using AI to fine-tune advanced functions such as Massive MIMO and beamforming for better performance.
• Edge AI and distributed intelligence: Leveraging near real-time RAN Intelligent Controllers (RIC) to bring smarter decision-making closer to the user.
• Security and trust in AI models: Ensuring resilience and transparency as AI systems become core to telecom.
• AI-driven monetization and new business models: Enabling operators to unlock fresh revenue streams by offering smarter, adaptive services and capabilities.

“These are not just theoretical ambitions,” Lucía emphasizes. “We are already moving in this direction, with autonomous networks, generative AI to support human co-pilots, and applications that transform how RAN operates in practice.”

Shared Vision With the AI-RAN Alliance

Vodafone’s priorities align closely with the mission of the AI-RAN Alliance: embedding AI across RAN to enable smarter, more efficient, and more adaptable mobile networks. With decades of experience, a track record of AI deployment, and a commitment to openness and responsibility, Vodafone brings both credibility and vision to the table.

As Marco puts it: “AI is no longer solely an add-on to the network. It is becoming the transformational factor for the design, operation and evolution of networks. The AI-RAN Alliance is where the future of RAN intelligence is being shaped, and we are excited to contribute.”

Learn More About Membership

The AI-RAN Alliance brings together global leaders in telecom, AI, and cloud technologies to accelerate the next generation of mobile networks. Interested in joining?

Visit the Membership Page