NVIDIA and Nokia have announced a strategic partnership to integrate NVIDIA-powered, commercial-grade AI-RAN products into Nokia’s RAN portfolio. This collaboration allows communication service providers to deploy AI-native 5G-Advanced and 6G networks on NVIDIA platforms.

The partnership is described as the beginning of the AI-native wireless era, providing a foundation for AI-powered consumer experiences and enterprise services at the edge.

$1 Billion Investment and Collaboration on AI-Native Networks

As part of the partnership, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion in Nokia at a subscription price of $6.01 per share, subject to customary closing conditions.

“This partnership will accelerate AI-RAN innovation to put an AI data center into everyone’s pocket,” said Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia. The collaboration also addresses the growing AI-RAN market, which Omdia estimates could exceed $200 billion by 2030.

Driving 6G Innovation and AI Traffic Growth

T-Mobile U.S. will work with Nokia and NVIDIA to test AI-RAN technologies as part of 6G development. Trials are expected to begin in 2026, focusing on field validation of performance and efficiency gains for customers.

The initiative aims to support AI-native devices such as drones, augmented- and virtual-reality glasses, and applications requiring integrated sensing and communications in 6G.

“With America’s best network, T-Mobile remains committed to advancing next-generation technologies that redefine the customer experience,” said John Saw, T-Mobile’s president of technology and CTO.

Seamless Transition to AI-Native 5G-Advanced and 6G

NVIDIA is introducing ARC-Pro, a 6G-ready accelerated computing platform that combines connectivity, computing, and sensing. Nokia will embed ARC-Pro into its 5G and 6G RAN software, enabling mobile operators to transition seamlessly from existing networks to AI-RAN.

Nokia’s anyRAN approach allows new AI-RAN cards to coexist with existing equipment, while Dell Technologies’ PowerEdge servers provide scalable infrastructure with low-touch upgrades, ensuring smooth evolution from 5G to 6G.

Future-Proofing Telecommunications with AI-RAN Solutions

Nokia and NVIDIA’s AI-RAN platform unifies AI and RAN workloads on software-defined infrastructure, improving efficiency, network performance, and monetization. Software updates allow rapid innovation while preparing networks for 6G.

“The telecommunications industry owns the most valuable real estate for AI — the edge, where data is created,” said Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies. The partnership also includes cooperation on AI networking solutions, such as data center switching with Nokia’s SR Linux software, telemetry, fabric management, and potential optical technologies for NVIDIA AI infrastructure.

PHOTO: NVIDIA

This article was created with AI assistance.