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Keir Starmer’s government is pinning its hopes on AI to deliver an ambitious growth agenda. Yet, for many in the private sector, the “AI revolution” is hitting a digital wall. A recent study reveals that 29 per cent of UK businesses find AI projects too complex to integrate or scale.

The bottleneck isn’t the AI itself, but the fragmented networks beneath it. To transform workflows and unlock growth, businesses must move away from legacy systems that simply weren’t built to handle the sheer volume of data required for modern intelligence.

For Amit Mehrotra, Tata Communications’ Vice President and Head of UK & Ireland, the solution is a unified approach. “Intelligent networks are pivotal for the success of the AI economy,” he says. “British businesses need to bring networks, cloud, and edge together into one clear view.”

The power of orchestration

Tata Communications has spent 24 years evolving from a network provider into a global communications technology player. Today, a third of the world’s internet traffic runs on its network. Their reliability is the reason they are trusted to orchestrate 100,000 live events annually, including Formula 1, where 150 video feeds and 250 audio feeds are broadcast to 1.2 billion fans across 180 countries.

This level of connectivity is now essential for corporate competitiveness. “Whether it is assisting with warehouse inventory management or robotic surgery, real-time AI decision-making is transforming industries from manufacturing to healthcare,” Mehrotra explains.

The speed of this interaction is critical. Tata Communications currently operates one of the world’s fastest voice AI systems with ultra-low latency, capable of detecting human emotion and responding in real-time. For one airline partner, this technology already handles nearly a third of all call volumes.

Resilience in an unpredictable world

To thrive in the AI economy, businesses must also navigate growing geopolitical unpredictability. “Smart businesses are not putting all their eggs in one basket,” says Mehrotra. “They understand the importance of distributing risk.”

With a presence in nearly 190 countries, Tata Communications provides the geographical spread necessary to protect infrastructure from targeted disruptions. For British industries, ranging from FTSE 100 giants to mid-sized organisations with global ambitions, this reach ensures they remain seamlessly connected across borders through a single, unified global network.

However, connectivity is nothing without security. For Mehrotra, the era of simple firewalls is over. “It is about a zero-trust architecture that extends to your suppliers and partners, because the threat exposure has increased significantly.”

Cutting through the noise

Ultimately, the greatest barrier to growth is complexity. Tata Communications’ “ThreadSpan” platform aims to solve this by allowing businesses to manage cloud, security, and IoT interactions through a single pane of glass. It offers predictive site onboarding and the ability to roll out consistent security policies at the push of a button.

In a world where AI is the goal, an intelligent network is the only way to get there. By simplifying the infrastructure, UK businesses can finally stop managing complexity and start driving growth.

To find out more please visit tatacommunications.com