Telecoms | UK Regulatory Outlook June 2025

Ofcom publishes its strategy on AI 

On 6 June 2025 Ofcom released its strategic approach to AI for the period 2025-2026. The report focuses in part on the integration and regulation of AI within the telecoms sector, outlining key initiatives and areas where AI can significantly impact telecoms services and regulatory practices. 

Key points

Use of AI by communications providers:

• AI technologies are being deployed to enhance network management, optimise performance, and improve reliability.
• AI can be a valuable tool for keeping networks secure. 

Regulatory oversight: 

• Ofcom's current approach to regulation is technology-neutral. Communications providers will essentially be able to implement AI technology as they see fit, without needing Ofcom's permission.
• Ofcom believes that its approach to regulation will promote faster innovation and growth. 

Ofcom innovation initiatives: 

• Ofcom is working with Digital Catapult to provide an interoperable Open RAN test-bed for mobile network equipment vendors to explore the use of AI in mobile networks.
• Large data sets on UK spectrum use has been made available, enabling communications providers to develop AI models for spectrum use cases.

Use of AI by Ofcom: 

• A text summarisation tool has been created to analyse responses to Ofcom consultations, with the intention of making it easier to identify patterns and themes more easily.
• Ofcom is using AI to improve spectrum planning with the aim of increasing the amount of data that can be transmitted over particular bandwidths.