AI in telecoms: which tasks to automate first
Updated
Across the 591,190 US jobs in telecommunications, the work scores 49 of 100 for AI exposure, weighted by how many people do each job. AI can take on about 784 hours a year per full-time person, 39% of a working year. The task that frees the most hours across the industry is to keep records of customer interactions or transactions, about 186 hours a year for each person who does it.
- AI exposure, weighted by employment
- 49 out of 100 Moderate exposure
- Hours AI can take on
- 784 hours a year per full-time person
- Task time AI can do today
- 22% AI speeds up another 49%
Tasks to automate first
The 15 tasks where AI can take on the most hours across telecommunications: how exposed each task is, how much of the job it takes and how many people do that job. Hours are per person in the role that does the task. How we score each task.
| Task and who does it | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken. AI transcribes and summarizes interactions into case records automatically. Done by customer service representatives. | 85% AI can do it 186 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Maintain customer records using automated systems. CRM record keeping is routine data entry for automated systems. Done by sales representatives of services. | 82% AI can do it 109 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Compute and compare costs of services. Cost calculations and comparisons are simple for software and AI. Done by sales representatives of services. | 78% AI can do it 104 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Complete contract forms, prepare change of address records, or issue service discontinuance orders, using computers. Structured form filling and address changes suit AI well. Done by customer service representatives. | 85% AI can do it 168 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Create forms or agreements to complete sales. Agreements and forms generate from templates with minimal review. Done by sales representatives of services. | 72% AI can do it 96 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Answer customers' questions about services, prices, availability, or credit terms. Chat assistants answer routine service, price, and availability questions. Done by sales representatives of services. | 70% AI can do it 93 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing. Billing systems calculate charges and process payments with little human input. Done by customer service representatives. | 70% AI can do it 141 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Develop sales presentations or proposals to explain service specifications. AI drafts proposals and decks well; rep tailors and reviews. Done by sales representatives of services. | 62% AI can do it 83 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Identify prospective customers using business directories, leads from clients, or information from conferences or trade shows. Lead research across directories and databases is largely automatable. Done by sales representatives of services. | 62% AI can do it 83 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Inform customers of contracts or other information pertaining to purchased services. Contract notices and summaries are routine documents AI can produce. Done by sales representatives of services. | 62% AI can do it 83 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Quote prices, credit terms, contract terms, or fulfillment dates for services. Pricing tools and configurators generate quotes; exceptions need approval. Done by sales representatives of services. | 62% AI can do it 83 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments. Automated emails and texts handle most outreach, complex cases need calls. Done by customer service representatives. | 65% AI can do it 132 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation. Routing rules can send unresolved cases to the right department automatically. Done by customer service representatives. | 65% AI can do it 128 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Monitor market conditions, innovations, and competitors' services, prices, and sales. Price and news tracking is automatable; interpreting it stays human. Done by sales representatives of services. | 55% AI helps 73 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Confer with customers by telephone or in person to provide information about products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or obtain details of complaints. Voice AI can handle routine calls, but live complaints need people. Done by customer service representatives. | 50% AI helps 113 hours a year for each person in the role |
What stays with people
29% of the task time across these roles needs a person, and the output of the rest still needs someone to check it. The tasks below take the most of that time.
- 22% AI can do it
- 49% AI helps
- 29% Needs a person
- Distribute promotional materials at meetings, conferences, or trade shows. Sales representatives of services, 8% exposed
- Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment. Cable technicians, 15% exposed
- Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories. Cable technicians, 8% exposed
- Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment. Cable technicians, 10% exposed
- Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment. Cable technicians, 4% exposed
Adoption path
Start with the tasks where AI helps a person, then automate the routine ones, then give whole workflows to agents with a person approving the output.
Teams in this industry
The business functions in telecommunications, by share of the workforce, with each one's exposure.
Roles in telecommunications
The 20 largest roles, each linked to its task-by-task score. Shares come from the BLS industry staffing estimates, May 2025. Of the roles with at least 2% of the jobs, customer service representatives score highest at 74, cable technicians lowest at 16.
- Telecommunications technicians, 15.9% of the workforce, score 32 out of 100
- Sales representatives of services, 13.3% of the workforce, score 66 out of 100
- Cable technicians, 10.4% of the workforce, score 16 out of 100
- Customer service representatives, 8% of the workforce, score 74 out of 100
- Software developers, 3.2% of the workforce, score 59 out of 100
- Computer network architects, 2.8% of the workforce, score 55 out of 100
- IT support specialists, 2.4% of the workforce, score 59 out of 100
- Electronics engineers, 2.4% of the workforce, score 53 out of 100
- Maintenance supervisors, 2.2% of the workforce, score 44 out of 100
- General managers, 2.1% of the workforce, score 44 out of 100
- IT managers, 2% of the workforce, score 50 out of 100
- Network engineers, 2% of the workforce, score 59 out of 100
- Sales supervisors, 1.8% of the workforce, score 48 out of 100
- Project managers, 1.8% of the workforce, score 53 out of 100
- Systems administrators, 1.4% of the workforce, score 58 out of 100
- Administrative supervisors, 1.3% of the workforce, score 55 out of 100
- Sales managers, 1.2% of the workforce, score 45 out of 100
- Systems analysts, 1.2% of the workforce, score 59 out of 100
- Digital marketers, 1.2% of the workforce, score 62 out of 100
- Retail salespeople, 1.1% of the workforce, score 48 out of 100
Questions about AI in telecoms
Which tasks should a telecoms company automate first?
The first task to automate is to keep records of customer interactions or transactions (85% exposed). Next come the tasks to maintain customer records (82%) and to compute and compare costs of services (78%). Together they free the most hours across the industry.
How many hours can AI save a telecoms company?
About 784 hours a year per full-time person, 39% of a 2,000-hour working year. For a team of 10 that is about 7,840 hours, the time of 3.9 full-time people. The figure is the share of task time AI can remove today, weighted by how many people do each job.
Which roles in a telecoms company are most exposed to AI?
Of the roles with at least 2% of the jobs, customer service representatives score highest, at 74 of 100, and cable technicians lowest, at 16. Each role's page lists its tasks one by one.
Will AI replace jobs in telecommunications?
AI can do 22% of the task time across these roles today. Another 49% gets faster with AI while a person stays in charge. 29% needs a person. One task that stays with people is to distribute promotional materials at meetings.
Where should a telecoms company start with AI?
With the quick wins: approved assistants for the tasks AI helps with, under a written AI policy. Then automate the 13 tasks on this page AI can do end to end. An AI audit maps the tasks in your team and ranks them the same way this page does.
Next steps
Find the tasks to automate first in your team
We map the tasks in your business, score each one the way this page does and build the automations that pay back first.