NVIDIA And Nokia Launch AI-RAN Products, Fueling $200 Billion Market Opportunity

NVIDIA and Nokia today announced a strategic partnership to deliver commercial-grade AI-RAN products, poised to unlock a significant opportunity within the rapidly expanding $200 billion RAN market. This collaboration will integrate NVIDIA-powered AI into Nokia’s industry-leading RAN portfolio, enabling communication service providers to launch AI-native 5G-Advanced and 6G networks on NVIDIA platforms. Furthermore, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion in Nokia at a subscription price of $6. 01 per share, solidifying their commitment to this transformative technology. According to Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, this partnership will revolutionize telecommunications, empowering the United States to regain global leadership in vital infrastructure technology, while Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, emphasized that this move will put an AI data center into everyone’s pocket, accelerating AI-RAN innovation. Nokia and NVIDIA Partner to Fuel AI-Powered Networks NVIDIA and Nokia have announced a strategic partnership designed to accelerate the development and deployment of AI-powered networks, marking a significant step toward the next generation of wireless infrastructure. The collaboration will integrate NVIDIA’s AI capabilities with Nokia’s industry-leading Radio Access Network (RAN) portfolio, creating commercial-grade AI-RAN products. This move aims to empower communication service providers to launch advanced 5G and future 6G networks, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence at the network edge. Building on this foundation, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion in Nokia at a subscription price of $6. 01 per share, subject to customary closing conditions. This investment underscores the commitment of both companies to drive innovation in AI-RAN technology and establish a leading position in this emerging market. The partnership will focus on delivering distributed edge AI inferencing at scale, enabling massive improvements in network performance and efficiency. According to Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, telecommunications represents a critical national infrastructure, and AI-RAN will revolutionize the field, empowering the United States to regain global leadership in this vital technology. The integration of NVIDIA CUDA and AI platforms will be central to this transformation, creating intelligent, adaptive networks capable of supporting increasingly demanding applications. “Built on NVIDIA CUDA and AI, AI-RAN will revolutionize telecommunications — a generational platform shift that empowers the United States to regain global leadership in this vital infrastructure technology.” founder and CEO Jensen Huang, NVIDIA Meanwhile, this collaboration extends beyond simply enhancing existing networks; it’s designed to lay the groundwork for future AI-native devices and applications. The enhanced networks will support technologies like drones, augmented and virtual reality glasses, and advanced 6G applications such as integrated sensing and communications. Justin Hotard, President and CEO at Nokia, highlighted the fundamental redesign of the network to deliver AI-powered connectivity, capable of processing intelligence at the edge. Trials are expected to begin in 2026, focusing on field validation of performance and efficiency gains for customers, ensuring seamless network experiences for consumers using generative, agentic, and physical AI applications. This strategic alliance aims to define the next generation of global connectivity, creating a robust and adaptable infrastructure for the future. $1 Billion Investment Drives Next-Generation Wireless Innovation The substantial $1 billion investment by NVIDIA into Nokia signals a firm commitment to reshaping the future of wireless infrastructure, according to the company announcement. This move isn’t simply a capital injection; it represents a strategic alignment designed to accelerate the development and deployment of AI-RAN technologies. The investment, priced at $6. 01 per share, underscores the belief that AI will be integral to the next generation of networks, transitioning beyond traditional methods of data transmission and processing. This financial backing positions Nokia to significantly expand its research and development efforts in AI-RAN, fostering innovation within its industry-leading RAN portfolio. Building on this commitment, the collaboration aims to deliver distributed edge AI inferencing at scale, a crucial component for supporting demanding applications like generative AI and augmented reality. Nokia intends to leverage this influx of capital to refine its AI-RAN products, enabling communication service providers to launch 5G-Advanced and 6G networks capable of handling increasingly complex and data-intensive workloads. Furthermore, the partnership will prioritize field trials, beginning in 2026, to rigorously test and validate performance gains in real-world scenarios, ensuring seamless network experiences for consumers and enterprises alike. Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, emphasized the national importance of telecommunications infrastructure, stating it is “a critical national infrastructure , the digital nervous system of our economy and security. ” This investment, therefore, is framed not only as a business opportunity but also as a means of regaining global leadership in a vital technology sector. The companies anticipate that AI-RAN will revolutionize telecommunications, establishing a generational platform shift that empowers the United States to lead in this critical area. The focus extends beyond simply improving network speed and efficiency; it also encompasses supporting future AI-native devices, such as drones and virtual reality headsets, while preparing for the advanced capabilities of 6G applications like integrated sensing and communications. The collaboration is expected to facilitate massive improvements in both performance and efficiency, benefiting a wide range of users and applications. According to the announcement, this will ensure that consumers utilizing generative, agentic, and physical AI applications on their devices experience seamless network connectivity. Justin Hotard, President and CEO at Nokia, believes this partnership will fundamentally redesign networks to deliver AI-powered connectivity, capable of intelligent processing. This intelligent network design aims to provide the necessary infrastructure for a future where AI is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of daily life, from personal devices to industrial applications. The long-term vision is to create a network that is not only faster and more reliable but also more adaptable and intelligent, capable of anticipating and responding to the evolving needs of users and applications. AI-RAN Ushers in New Era for Telecoms by 2030 The emergence of AI-RAN represents a fundamental shift in telecommunications infrastructure, poised to unlock a $200 billion market opportunity by 2030, according to industry analysis. This new architecture integrates artificial intelligence directly into the radio access network, enabling dynamic optimization and significantly improved network performance. Building on this, the partnership between NVIDIA and Nokia aims to deliver distributed edge AI inferencing at scale, fundamentally altering how networks are designed and operated. This collaborative effort isn’t simply an incremental upgrade; it’s a redesign intended to support increasingly demanding AI-powered applications and services. Nokia and NVIDIA are targeting substantial improvements in both performance and efficiency through the implementation of AI-RAN technologies. Trials are expected to commence in 2026, with a specific focus on validating the gains achieved in real-world field deployments for customers. These trials will rigorously assess the impact on key performance indicators, ensuring that the technology delivers tangible benefits to communication service providers. Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, emphasized that this is more than just a technological advancement; it’s a critical component of national infrastructure, vital for economic security and global leadership. The company announced this approach will empower operators to build intelligent, adaptive networks capable of supporting the next generation of global connectivity. The implications of this AI-driven transformation extend beyond simply faster download speeds. AI-RAN is designed to accommodate the increasing demands of generative AI, agentic applications, and physically interactive technologies, ensuring seamless network experiences for consumers. Furthermore, this architecture is crucial for supporting future devices like drones and augmented/virtual reality glasses, as well as emerging 6G applications such as integrated sensing and communications. Justin Hotard, President and CEO at Nokia, highlighted that the next leap in telecommunications isn’t just the transition from 5G to 6G, but a fundamental redesign of the network to deliver AI-powered connectivity. This redesign aims to create a network capable of intelligent processing, adapting to evolving demands and unlocking new possibilities for connected devices and services. “The next leap in telecom isn’t just from 5G to 6G — it’s a fundamental redesign of the network to deliver AI-powered connectivity, capable of processing intelligence from the data center all the way to the edge.” President and CEO Justin Hotard, Nokia This new infrastructure will also facilitate the delivery of AI at the edge, bringing processing power closer to the user and reducing latency. This is particularly important for applications requiring real-time responsiveness, such as autonomous vehicles and industrial automation. The integration of NVIDIA’s CUDA platform and AI capabilities with Nokia’s industry-leading RAN portfolio promises a powerful synergy, accelerating the development and deployment of these advanced technologies. According to NVIDIA, the goal is to equip operators with the tools they need to build networks that are not only faster and more reliable but also more intelligent and adaptable. The company believes this will be essential for maintaining a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape. The move towards AI-RAN also addresses the growing need for network efficiency and sustainability. By optimizing network resources in real-time, AI can reduce energy consumption and minimize environmental impact. This is becoming increasingly important as the demand for data continues to grow and the world focuses on reducing its carbon footprint. Nokia and NVIDIA are committed to developing sustainable solutions that not only deliver superior performance but also contribute to a more environmentally responsible future. This commitment is reflected in their collaborative efforts to design and deploy AI-powered networks that are both efficient and sustainable. Looking ahead, the success of AI-RAN will depend on close collaboration between technology providers, operators, and regulators. It will require the development of new standards and protocols to ensure interoperability and seamless integration. Nokia and NVIDIA are actively working with industry partners to drive innovation and accelerate the adoption of AI-RAN technologies. The company anticipates that this collaborative effort will pave the way for a new era of wireless connectivity, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for innovation and economic growth. This commitment to collaboration and innovation underscores the importance of AI-RAN as a key enabler of the future digital economy. The partnership between NVIDIA and Nokia signals a fundamental shift in the telecommunications landscape, poised to deliver the infrastructure necessary for a truly AI-native wireless future. By converging NVIDIA’s AI computing platform with Nokia’s robust RAN portfolio, communication service providers are now better equipped to deploy advanced 5G and ultimately, 6G networks. This collaboration isn’t simply about faster speeds; it’s about enabling the distributed edge AI inferencing at scale that will underpin a new generation of applications. For industries reliant on real-time data processing and low latency, this represents a significant opportunity to unlock new value. Trials commencing in 2026 will focus on validating performance and efficiency gains for customers, but the long-term implications extend far beyond improved network metrics. This development could enable entirely new consumer experiences and enterprise services, driven by generative AI, agentic systems, and applications demanding seamless connectivity and intelligent processing at the edge. NVIDIA and Nokia are not only building faster networks, but also laying the foundation for an era where AI is deeply embedded within the fabric of our wireless infrastructure. Source: https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-nokia-ai-telecommunications Tags: