NVIDIA and Partners Introduce Software-Defined AI-RAN for 6G

AI-RAN is moving from laboratories to real-world fields, demonstrating that a software-defined approach is the only viable path for creating future AI-focused wireless networks. Ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), which will take place from March 2 to 5 in Barcelona, NVIDIA and Nokia announced new collaborations in the AI-RAN space with leading telecommunications operators in Europe, Asia, and North America, based on NVIDIA AI-RAN platforms.

Industry pioneers such as T-Mobile U.S., SoftBank, and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) have reached significant milestones in deployment, bringing AI-RAN to the streets and airwaves. New testing results from partners like SynaXG have shown that AI-RAN on NVIDIA platforms delivers high-speed, reliable performance across multiple 5G bands.

At MWC, over 20 demonstrations from the AI-RAN Alliance, built on NVIDIA platforms, will showcase how AI enhances the performance and efficiency of 5G, unlocking new opportunities for edge applications. All of this underscores the commitment to a common software-defined foundation that will lay the groundwork for secure, open, and AI-oriented 6G systems.

T-Mobile U.S. demonstrated simultaneous AI and RAN processing on the NVIDIA AI-RAN platform using Nokia's RAN software. In field conditions, T-Mobile's Nokia AirScale radio supported commercial devices running applications such as streaming video and generative AI.

SoftBank conducted field trials of AITRAS, achieving the industry's first 16-layer massive MIMO with fully software-defined 5G on the NVIDIA AI-RAN platform. IOH implemented software-defined 5G with Nokia's vRAN software on NVIDIA AI-RAN platforms, transitioning from concept to pre-commercial validation in the field.

SynaXG showcased a fully software-defined AI-RAN utilizing NVIDIA AI Aerial, marking the world's first deployment of AI-RAN on FR2 bands. This achievement highlights IOH's readiness to expand AI-focused network capabilities and provide intelligent connectivity for communities in Indonesia.