NVIDIA and Nokia have announced a partnership to develop AI-powered Radio Access Network (AI-RAN) products that will reshape the future of wireless connectivity and pave the way for 6G networks. Alongside this technological collaboration, NVIDIA is making a $1 billion equity investment in Nokia, strengthening their long-term strategic alignment. Here are 10 important facts about this game-changing alliance driving the AI-native wireless era.
1. NVIDIA invests $1 billion in Nokia to fuel AI-RAN innovation
NVIDIA will acquire new Nokia shares worth $1 billion (EUR 0.86 billion) at $6.01 per share, subject to regulatory approvals. The investment cements NVIDIA’s commitment to accelerating AI innovation in telecommunications.
2. Partnership introduces AI-native 5G-Advanced and 6G networks
The collaboration integrates NVIDIA-powered, commercial-grade AI-RAN products into Nokia’s RAN portfolio. This will help telecom operators launch AI-native networks, combining artificial intelligence, connectivity, and computing at the edge.
3. Targeting a $200 billion AI-RAN market by 2030
According to Omdia, the global AI-RAN opportunity is expected to exceed $200 billion cumulatively by 2030. The NVIDIA–Nokia partnership positions both companies to lead in this emerging sector.
According to Dell’Oro Group, cumulative 6G RAN investments between 2029 and 2034 are expected to represent 55–60 percent of total RAN capex during that period. The overall RAN market is projected to remain flat over the next decade. This outlook assumes that mobile networks will face utilization challenges by the end of the 2020s, prompting a 6G-driven investment surge focused on Massive MIMO systems in the Sub-7GHz and cmWave spectrum, leveraging existing macro network infrastructure.
4. T-Mobile joins as first U.S. operator to test AI-RAN
T-Mobile U.S. will work with Nokia and NVIDIA to test AI-RAN technologies, with field trials beginning in 2026. The tests will focus on validating efficiency and performance improvements for next-generation networks.
5. NVIDIA launches Aerial RAN Computer Pro (ARC-Pro)
NVIDIA introduced ARC-Pro, a 6G-ready accelerated computing platform that unifies connectivity, computing, and sensing. ARC-Pro will power the shift from 5G-Advanced to 6G through software-defined upgrades.
6. Nokia embeds NVIDIA ARC-Pro in its anyRAN platform
Nokia plans to integrate NVIDIA’s ARC-Pro into its AirScale baseband and anyRAN architecture. This will simplify the transition to AI-RAN, allowing existing 5G base stations to evolve seamlessly toward 6G.
7. Dell Technologies boosts AI-RAN infrastructure
Dell Technologies is supporting the project with Dell PowerEdge servers, enabling scalable and automated AI-RAN deployments. These servers allow no-touch upgrades and low-touch silicon transitions to 6G-ready systems.
8. AI-RAN enables superior network efficiency and new AI services
AI-RAN will optimize spectral and energy efficiency, while enabling edge AI inferencing and AI-driven applications like autonomous drones, connected vehicles, AR/VR, and real-time sensing. It positions operators to monetize AI traffic growth efficiently.
9. Partnership strengthens U.S. telecom and AI leadership
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang emphasized that AI-RAN represents a generational platform shift, helping the U.S. regain global leadership in telecommunications by merging AI, computing, and connectivity.
10. Expanding AI networking and data center cooperation
Beyond RAN, Nokia and NVIDIA will collaborate on AI networking solutions, integrating Nokia’s SR Linux software into NVIDIA’s Spectrum-X Ethernet platform, and exploring optical technologies for future AI infrastructure.
Conclusion: Building the foundation for the AI-native 6G era
The NVIDIA–Nokia partnership symbolizes a major milestone in telecom innovation, combining AI computing with network technology. With T-Mobile and Dell Technologies joining forces, this collaboration lays the groundwork for a future-proofed, AI-native 6G infrastructure — a network built for the intelligence age.
Baburajan Kizhakedath