Nokia partners with NVIDIA to launch AI-powered radio access network platform

1. Nokia Launches AI-RAN Platform

On July 15, 2026, Nokia introduced its new AI-native Radio Access Network (AI-RAN) platform. Developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, the platform utilizes NVIDIA’s Aerial system and Nokia’s anyRAN software. The company claims the technology will allow network operators to significantly increase the capacity of their existing spectrum. Nokia reports current spectral efficiency gains of over 20%, with targets to reach 50% by 2027 and over 100% by 2028. Operators will access this capability through software subscriptions rather than hardware replacements, with deployment options including GPU-powered plug-in cards, standalone nodes, or cloud-server builds.

2. Strategic Shift for Nokia

The launch represents a major effort by Nokia CEO Justin Hotard to revitalize the company’s mobile infrastructure business, which has faced performance challenges. By shifting toward a software-centric model powered by NVIDIA’s silicon and CUDA software, Nokia aims to reduce its reliance on custom in-house hardware. This strategy is supported by a 2025 partnership involving a $1 billion investment from NVIDIA. The move is intended to transition the company toward recurring revenue streams, a departure from traditional hardware-heavy business cycles.

3. Industry Competition and Market Context

Nokia’s claim of being the "industry’s first" to launch such a platform has drawn scrutiny due to competing offerings. In June 2026, Ericsson began selling its own AI-in-RAN software, which functions on existing baseband silicon without the need for dedicated GPUs. While Nokia distinguishes its platform as the first GPU-accelerated AI-RAN architecture, the market remains competitive. Analysts note that while Nokia’s strategy is a significant step in its corporate turnaround, the platform is not yet commercially available, with pilots scheduled for late 2026 and a full commercial rollout expected in 2027.