NVIDIA and Nokia have announced a landmark strategic partnership to accelerate the development of AI-native mobile networks, marking the start of the AI-RAN era and paving the way toward 6G connectivity.
As part of the collaboration, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion in Nokia at $6.01 per share. The companies will co-develop AI-powered RAN (Radio Access Network) solutions that fuse artificial intelligence with next-generation telecom infrastructure.
Key Highlights
NVIDIA introduces ARC-Pro (Aerial RAN Computer Pro) — a 6G-ready platform integrating connectivity, computing, and sensing to transition telcos from 5G-Advanced to 6G via software upgrades.
Nokia will embed ARC-Pro into its AirScale baseband systems and expand its AI-RAN portfolio, enabling operators to modernize existing 5G networks without replacing hardware.
T-Mobile U.S. will partner with Nokia and NVIDIA to test AI-RAN technologies in 2026, focusing on performance and energy-efficiency improvements as part of its 6G innovation program.
Dell Technologies will supply PowerEdge servers to power Nokia’s AI-RAN deployments, ensuring scalability and seamless software evolution.
Why It Matters
This alliance is seen as a turning point for global telecommunications, merging the worlds of AI and wireless infrastructure. By unifying radio access and AI workloads on a software-defined platform, operators can deliver smarter, adaptive, and energy-efficient networks — a foundation for the AI-native 6G era.
According to Omdia, the AI-RAN market could surpass $200 billion by 2030, underscoring its enormous potential. The partnership also enables edge AI inferencing at scale, powering new use cases like autonomous drones, connected vehicles, and immersive AR/VR experiences.
Leaders Speak
“Telecommunications is the digital nervous system of our economy,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “AI-RAN will revolutionize telecom and restore U.S. leadership in this vital infrastructure technology.”
“The next leap isn’t just 5G to 6G — it’s the redesign of the network to deliver AI-powered connectivity,” added Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia. “With NVIDIA and Dell, we’re putting an AI data center into everyone’s pocket.”
