Nokia and NVIDIA Accelerate AI-RAN Deployment, Paving the Way for 6G

Barcelona, Spain – March 3, 2026 – At Mobile World Congress (MWC) this week, Nokia and NVIDIA are showcasing significant advancements in AI-RAN (Radio Access Network) technology, demonstrating a shift towards software-defined networks and laying the groundwork for the future of 6G connectivity. Collaborations with leading telecom operators are driving the transition from lab testing to real-world deployments, promising enhanced 5G performance and unlocking new edge AI applications.

From Lab to Live: The Rise of Software-Defined AI-RAN

AI-RAN is gaining momentum as the preferred architecture for future wireless networks, with a software-defined approach proving to be the most viable path forward. NVIDIA and Nokia have announced new collaborations with operators across Europe, Asia, and North America, leveraging NVIDIA’s AI-RAN platforms to accelerate deployment. This momentum is highlighted by over 20 AI-RAN Alliance demos at MWC, showcasing the benefits of AI in boosting 5G efficiency, and performance.

Key Operator Milestones

Several major telecom operators have achieved key milestones in implementing NVIDIA-powered AI-RAN:

• T-Mobile U.S.: Successfully demonstrated concurrent AI and RAN processing on the NVIDIA AI-RAN platform, utilizing Nokia’s CUDA-accelerated RAN software. Field tests in the 3.7GHz band with Nokia’s AirScale massive MIMO radio supported commercial devices running applications like video streaming, generative AI, and AI-powered video captioning alongside standard 5G services. [NVIDIA Blog]
• SoftBank: Achieved an industry-first 16-layer massive MIMO implementation using fully software-defined 5G on NVIDIA’s AI-RAN platform, marking a significant step towards commercialization. [NVIDIA Blog]
• Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH): Implemented software-defined 5G with Nokia’s vRAN software on NVIDIA AI-RAN platforms, progressing from proof-of-concept to pre-commercial field validation. This was demonstrated at MWC with Southeast Asia’s first AI-powered 5G call, enabling secure, real-time cross-border connectivity and remote control of a robotic dog. [NVIDIA Blog]

Benchmarking and Performance Gains

Benchmarking results from partners like SynaXG demonstrate the high-speed, carrier-grade performance of AI-RAN running on NVIDIA platforms across multiple 5G spectrum bands. SynaXG’s implementation using NVIDIA AI Aerial achieved a throughput of 36 Gbps with under 10 milliseconds latency, activating 20 component carriers with a centralized and distributed unit on a single NVIDIA GH200 server. [NVIDIA Blog] This marks the first implementation of AI-RAN on FR2 bands.

Expanding the Ecosystem and Looking Ahead to 6G

NVIDIA is fostering a growing ecosystem of partners, including Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT), Supermicro, and WNC, to provide operators with a range of deployment solutions based on NVIDIA Aerial RAN Computer (ARC) platforms. NVIDIA has also joined the OCUDU (Open CU DU) Ecosystem Foundation, contributing to open-source RAN software development. [PCMag]

With 77% of industry respondents anticipating a faster deployment of AI-native wireless networks, according to NVIDIA’s State of AI in Telecom report, this progress is setting the stage for secure, open, and AI-native 6G systems. [PCMag] NVIDIA’s commitment to open-source initiatives, including the release of NVIDIA Aerial CUDA-accelerated RAN libraries, is further accelerating innovation in the field.

Key Takeaways

• AI-RAN is transitioning from laboratory testing to real-world deployments with key operators like T-Mobile U.S., SoftBank, and IOH.
• NVIDIA and Nokia are central to this transition, providing the platforms and software necessary for efficient AI-RAN implementation.
• Benchmarking results demonstrate significant performance gains with AI-RAN, including high throughput and low latency.
• The industry is increasingly focused on open-source solutions for 6G, with NVIDIA playing a key role in fostering collaboration and innovation.