Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) extended its Zinkworks partnership to deploy AI-led automation technology across its mobile network.

By deploying new AI monitoring tools in its network, the British operator is hoping to better predict and mitigate network issues. Previously, the VMO2 and Zinkworks relationship centered on its fixed broadband network, claiming the technology helped reduce repair times by more than one-third and cut the need for engineer visits by 12% across two years.

The new deal will see Zinkworks tech implemented across critical areas of the mobile network, such as radio access, core, and operations domains, leveraging the core Google Cloud platform and Google AI features such as Gemini and Vertex AI. In a case of good timing, this week saw VMO2 co-owner Liberty Global announce announce a five-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud to embed AI at scale throughout Liberty's European operations, which besides VMO2 include Virgin Media in Ireland, Telenet in Belgium, and VodafoneZiggo in The Netherlands.

“Mobile operators globally are looking for ways to harness AI at scale, and Virgin Media O2 is at the forefront of this shift," Zinkworks CEO Paul Madden explained. "By combining Virgin Media O2’s ambition and our engineering expertise, we are building capabilities that will reduce outages, improve performance, and deliver tangible benefits to customers across the U.K.”

"Greater automation will help us predict and prevent issues and allow us to better spot and fix problems when they arise, reducing downtime and ensuring customers can trust us to deliver the dependable mobile experience they rely on,” Virgin Media O2 CTO Jeanie York added.