The convergence of artificial intelligence and advanced connectivity isn’t just another technology trend; it’s the foundation of how businesses will compete. Organizations investing in wireless infrastructure today will lead tomorrow’s AI economy. Those waiting will struggle to catch up.
That’s what I’m seeing after spending the week with manufacturers gearing up to pursue lights-out manufacturing strategies in response to growing volatility and uncertainty in their supply chains.
5G is table stakes for running AI in a distributed environment
Ericsson’s State of Enterprise Connectivity 2025 report makes this clear. 88% of U.S. businesses consider 5G critical to optimizing AI in the workplace. 92% believe this new connectivity era will unlock business innovation. Most telling? 93% say secure, high-performing networks are essential to maintaining global technology leadership.
This isn’t about speed. It’s about the mutual relationship between AI and connectivity that transforms how businesses operate. AI needs robust networks to function. Those same networks need AI to optimize performance. Together, they create the unwired future where everything connects wirelessly.
Time for an infrastructure reality check
Most organizations aren’t ready for what’s coming. The average enterprise AI initiative requires 10,000+ connected endpoints generating 5TB of data daily. By 2026, that jumps to 50,000 endpoints generating 25TB. Traditional networks can’t handle this load.
Ericsson’s latest report reveals real barriers. 52% cite deployment costs. 46% point to hardware complexity. 41% note infrastructure limitations. But here’s what matters more: 95% report unreliable connectivity leads to higher operational costs. 30% cite reputational damage. 26% report direct revenue loss. In manufacturing, having unreliable connectivity turns into the surprise expenses no one sees coming, but hits income statements and profit & loss statements hard. Every minute of downtime costs $4,333 on average. In automotive plants, that climbs to $50,000 per minute. For AI-dependent operations, costs escalate exponentially. One network failure can corrupt weeks of machine learning training data.
AI and connectivity are in a mutual relationship that changes everything
The mutual relationship between AI and connectivity creates measurable value. AI identifies network failures 72 hours before they happen. Automated orchestration reduces latency by 47%. Security responses quarantine threats in under 100 milliseconds. Meanwhile, unwired networks support 1 million devices per square kilometer versus 10,000 for wired alternatives.
Organizations implementing AI-optimized private networks report a 43% reduction in unplanned downtime. Product quality scores improve 27%. Ericsson’s report shows 90% say AI improves workplace security through automatic anomaly detection. 89% report AI helps upskill network staff by automating analysis.
There are encouraging signs emerging in the auto industry. Mercedes-Benz’s Factory 56 has implemented AI-powered visual inspection systems that have led to significant reductions in quality defects, with industry sources reporting up to a 50% decrease in specific quality issues. General Motors’ Factory ZERO uses AI and private 5G networks to enable flexible manufacturing and real-time process optimization for electric vehicles.
Why both are critical for breaking through adoption barriers
Despite clear benefits, barriers remain. The good news? Solutions exist for each challenge. According to Nokia’s 2024 research, 93% of manufacturers adopting private wireless networks reported achieving return on investment within 12 months, with a majority seeing results within six months and 23% realizing payback in just 30 days, as confirmed in their official newsroom and industry reports.. According to SNS Telecom & IT, managed service models are expected to account for 65% of private 5G deployments by 2027, as highlighted in their industry analysis. Based on experience with manufacturers, infrastructure constraints become manageable through phased deployments, starting with high-impact use cases like predictive maintenance that generate quick wins and fund their expansion.
Industries leading the charge
Smart cities are rapidly transforming public sector operations worldwide. Peachtree Corners’ Curiosity Lab in Georgia operates autonomous vehicles on 5G networks, leveraging real-time AI for traffic management and mobility innovation.
Retail and logistics are scaling these innovations. Amazon’s fulfillment centers use private 5G networks to support fast, flexible wireless deployment for robotics and operations, with official reports emphasizing significant speed improvements versus traditional systems. Meanwhile, Walmart’s distribution centers are deploying advanced automation, including thousands of autonomous robots, to efficiently process large volumes of packages daily, a number approaching 1 million.
The path forward is clear
Enterprises accelerating AI adoption are leaning on three proven connectivity strategies:
Private 5G networks deliver dedicated spectrum with sub-10ms latency, enabling guaranteed performance for mission-critical AI workloads in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain operations. These networks offer complete control and built-in SIM-based security, ensuring uptime and deterministic data flow.
Wireless WAN (WWAN) solutions allow for 85% faster deployment than wired alternatives and cut network management overhead by 67%. With built-in failover across 5G, Wi-Fi, and satellite, WWANs keep AI systems, IoT devices, and autonomous tools continuously connected.
Hybrid architectures combine private 5G for edge intelligence with public cellular for cloud-scale analytics—delivering scalable, secure, and workload-aware performance across the enterprise. This layered model enables AI to operate wherever it delivers the most value.
A new competitive reality
Ericsson’s report shows 92% of enterprises believe connectivity will unlock innovation. They’re right. But belief isn’t enough when competitors are always improving pilots and racing ahead.
It’s clear from visiting with manufacturers pursuing these strategies to run lights-out operations for multiple shifts that embracing and choosing to excel with an unwired future delivers clear advantages. 5x faster AI deployment. 47% higher model accuracy. 63% operational cost reduction. These aren’t possibilities. They’re happening now.
By 2027, the average enterprise will operate 75,000+ connected devices, generating 150TB daily. AI models will process this data in real time, making millions of decisions. Without a robust wireless infrastructure, competing becomes impossible. The mutual relationship between AI and connectivity isn’t a theory. It’s the operating system of tomorrow’s economy. Companies investing in unwired infrastructure today will define their industries. Those waiting will struggle to remain relevant.
The Bottom Line
AI without connectivity robs the latest technologies of achieving their full potential. Connectivity without AI becomes expensive infrastructure. Together, through their mutual relationship, they create tomorrow’s intelligent enterprise. Build for the unwired future now, or become obsolete tomorrow.
