- IQGeo is about to close on an AI company called Deepomatic
- Deepomatic's software scans photos to verify that field work is done properly and to clean up operators' network maps
- One telecom executive at Fiber Connect said companies are racing into this space
FIBER CONNECT, NASHVILLE — There is a gap between what operators think they know about their network assets and what's actually out in the field — and IQGeo, a developer of geospatial software for telecom companies, wants to close that gap with AI by embedding AI into its network mapping technology.
In March, IQGeo announced it was buying the AI company Deepomatic, and it’s already strategizing how it will use the AI software when it closes on the deal at the end of this month. Deepomatic’s AI agents analyze photos from telecom field workers, Google Street View images and other third-party sources to assess network assets, detect issues and update geospatial models without the need for human intervention.
The tech allows operators to manage their contractors more effectively, according to Jay Cadman, SVP, and George Hughes, head of value consulting at IQGeo, at Fiber Connect. Fierce Network talked to both men at the show about the company’s plans to use Deepomatic’s software.
"In the background, any time you take a picture in the field, there’s all sorts of data surrounding that we are now capturing that AI understands and brings back to the GIS system," said Cadman. The technology will ensure that every work step out in the field is done properly, he said adding that the biggest problem has been the discrepancy between an operator’s network system of record and what actually exists out in the field.
Hughes gave the example of a splice closure: an operator’s network system of record might indicate it has a certain number of fibers available for sale at that splice closure. But in reality, it only has half as many fibers available.
“I’m going to a business and saying it’s ready to go; but it’s not,” said Hughes. “It leaves a bad representation.”
Cadman said, “For years we’ve been trying to build systems that help people collect data in the field, but no matter how simple, there’s still a discrepancy. People are trying to do their jobs, not keep records.”
He said Deepomatic has around 400 different AI models that telecom companies can deploy for different work scenarios.
IQGeo and Deepomatic aren’t the first companies to use AI image technology in the field. Rakuten Mobile in Japan also developed this type of technology, in-house, as explained in this Fierce Network Research report.
On a panel at Fiber Connect today, James King, a solutions engineer with the broadband solutions vendor Millennium, said the company has used data from both IQGeo and Vetro at different times. In terms of boosting mapping technology with AI, King said, “A lot of people are racing into this space.”
King added, “The technological advancements in the field are happening very quickly. We’re driving routes at 60 miles per hour with cameras.”
IQGeo’s pedigree
IQGeo found success helping all the people at telecom companies “who don’t want to be a GIS expert,” said Cadman.
Eventually, the company expanded to also work with electric and gas companies. IQGeo had been a public company, but it was purchased by the private equity company KKR in 2024. In the United States, IQGeo works with 29 of the top 50 telcos, including AT&T and Brightspeed. Cadman said it has about 600 customers around the world. The company has about 350 employees. It’s based in the U.K., although its biggest territory is North America. The purchase of Deepomatic will add an additional 50 employees.
Although some other companies, such as Vetro, use GIS to create network systems of record, Cadman said, “We would not walk in and say, ‘Our focus is system of record.’ We would say, ‘We build workflows that allow you to manage your physical inventory.’”
Hughes said telcos have many “workflows,” which start right from the beginning with initial network designs, to supply chain management to budget planning. And macro workflows can kick off a lot of smaller workflows.
Catch up on all the news from Fiber Connect 2025 here.