Georgette Lopez-Aguado
Let’s talk about something that’s already showing up in your network, whether you’ve noticed or not: AI.
In our latest Bandwidth episode, we took on the million-dollar question — is AI going to increase bandwidth usage, or just shift it? Spoiler: the answer is yes. It’s going to do both.
But more than that, AI is about to change how customers experience their internet providers. And if you’re running a support team, managing a network, or trying to keep your community connected and happy, now is the time to prepare.
Not next year. Not once the shiny products roll out. Right now.
Let me explain why.
Bandwidth Will Go Up. That’s Not a Debate.
Our team has all lived the real-life side of running an ISP. We’ve all seen how fast things shift when new tech shows up. And AI is already making its mark.
From training large models, to people asking smarter, heavier questions, to real-time responses driving edge compute... this is not a quiet little shift. As our co-host, Larry,, mentioned on this episode, "I saw a Sandvine report. They said, you know, we've seen 20 to 30% bandwidth growth for the last 20 years, they're expecting it to be 40% with AI." That’s a lot.
And while some of that will move around existing traffic, much of it is going to be new. It’s going to come from chatbots, video generation, real-time analytics, and thousands of small automations happening behind the scenes.
Support Will Be Ground Zero for AI Disruption
If you work in support or service delivery, I want you to hear this loud and clear: AI is not here to replace you. But it is going to change what your team needs to deliver.
Customers are already expecting faster responses and smarter help. They are not going to accept “we’ll get back to you” if they know a tool can answer in seconds. That pressure will keep growing.
This is where support leaders can really shine. Start now by documenting internal knowledge, cleaning up your ticket history, and thinking about what kind of AI support tool would actually serve your team and your customers. Not just what looks good in a demo, but what actually helps people solve problems faster.
Because here’s the thing. If your AI tools give the wrong answers or stall out during peak time, customers will notice. And they won’t wait.
Don’t Panic. But Do Get Moving.
This came up a lot in the episode, and I couldn’t agree more: don’t panic.
You don’t need to overhaul everything in a day. But you do need to start somewhere. Pick a place where AI can make your team stronger — maybe that’s triaging tickets, or giving your CSRs a co-pilot to help them through trickier cases.
Start small. Measure what matters. Make sure your data is solid. And always keep a human in the loop.
We talk a lot about “human circuit breakers” on the show. I love that phrase. Because AI is only helpful if we stay grounded and responsible in how we use it.
What About AI-Ready ISPs? What Does That Even Mean?
Here’s a trend I’m already seeing in the wild. ISPs putting "AI-Ready" on their websites. I’m just going to say it: most of that is marketing fluff.
If your competitor says they’re AI-ready, ask yourself what they really mean. Are they just saying it, or are they actually doing something that improves customer experience?
Because real AI readiness is about latency, reliability, and thoughtful support integrations. It’s not a sticker you slap on your homepage.
And honestly? You don't need to panic about what someone else is claiming. Focus on what you can do for your customers. If you stay clear on that, you're on the right path.
Final Thoughts
AI is going to touch every part of our industry. Some of that will be exciting. Some of it will be frustrating. But the best thing we can do is lead with intention, stay curious, and keep our customers at the center of everything we build.
If you’re not sure where to begin, start with one question:
“Where could AI help us serve better — not faster, not cheaper, but better?”
I promise, that’s a great place to start.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll take a listen to the full episode. We covered a lot more — from net neutrality to ad injections to what happens when AI starts managing your network before you even ask.
