Navigating Broadband Outages: How AI is Revolutionising Provider Strategies

Published 18/06/24 under:

Let’s talk about something that’s a headache for both providers and consumers alike: broadband outages. In our always-on world, where connectivity is king, these disruptions can really throw a wrench into our lives, whether it’s streaming our favourite shows, working remotely, or simply staying connected with loved ones. 

Broadband providers aren’t having it easy these days. Customers want lightning-fast, super-reliable internet, which means constant network upgrades. Old infrastructure is getting creaky and the cyber criminals are upping their game. New players are jumping into the market with flashy deals, making it tougher than ever for providers to keep their profits up. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for broadband providers to stay relevant and deliver the vital internet service we all rely on. 

However, there is a new weapon in the arsenal: Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Key Challenges for Broadband Providers 

As full fibre broadband has now reached 15 million premises across the UK, customers also have a growing choice of providers. About 2.5 million can choose from at least 2 or more independent networks, and 1.6 million have a choice of at least 3 or more. Within the UK, there are 28.1 million fixed lines, showing an increase year-on-year of 261,000 lines (0.9%). According to a 2022 Ofcom report [1], 87% of households in the UK had a fixed broadband connection in 2022, the same share as 2021. This figure doesn’t even cover access to mobile data services, which many people use to access the internet from home.  

This rising demand and choice have highlighted some major challenges in the broadband sector: 

• 34% of consumers switch providers due to poor customer service. 
• Customer retention is increasingly difficult. 
• Resolving patch problems is a constant struggle. 
• Usage fluctuations make it hard to maintain consistent service. 
• Cybersecurity. 

As a result of these challenges, providing exceptional customer service and customer experiences has become increasingly important for broadband providers, allowing them to differentiate themselves whilst scaling and maintaining their existing customer base. What if you could both improve your customer experience and outages with one platform? 

The Broadband Outage Landscape 

Broadband outages can really ruin your day. But AI is here to change the game, especially through platforms like Genesys Cloud. Here’s how it can help you tackle the big issues: 

1. Automated Communication: No more leaving customers in the dark during a storm or unpredicted outage. AI-powered chatbots and automated SMS notifications utilising functions such as postcode lookup in the CRM, ensure that customers are always informed, even if their internet connection is down, preventing that spike of frustrated calls into the contact centre.  
2. Dynamic Resource Allocation: By understanding outage patterns, AI helps providers allocate the right engineers where they’re needed most, ensuring a speedy resolution and happy customers. 
3. Security: AI is a game changer for network security, able to analyse massive amounts of data to quickly spot and prevent potential threats. 

Kerv and Genesys: A Decade of Success 

For nearly ten years, Kerv has been teaming up with Genesys to make magic happen.  Our AI-powered solutions are changing the game when it comes to broadband outage management.  

Read our Fibrus CX case study or reach out for more information!

[1] Ofcom, UK Home Broadband Performance, October 2022