NVIDIA and Nokia join forces to build AI platform for 6G

NVIDIA will invest $1 billion in Nokia as part of the deal, unveiled at NVIDIA's GTC conference in Washington, D.C. The collaboration aims to accelerate the transition from 5G to AI-native 6G networks.

The alliance combines NVIDIA's AI computing capabilities with Nokia's radio access network (RAN) expertise to create a commercial-grade AI-RAN platform supporting 5G-Advanced and future 6G infrastructure. This new generation of intelligent mobile networks will enable service providers to deliver AI-powered services across distributed edge networks.

Central to the partnership is NVIDIA's Aerial RAN Computer Pro (ARC-Pro), which is a 6G-ready platform integrating connectivity, computation, and sensing. The system allows telecom operators to upgrade from 5G to 6G primarily through software updates, potentially reducing costs and speeding deployment.

Nokia will embed ARC-Pro within its AirScale baseband products, expanding its any RAN approach, a flexible, software-defined architecture that evolves seamlessly across cloud-based and purpose-built networks. By integrating AI directly into the RAN layer, operators can dynamically optimize network resources, delivering lower latency and higher energy efficiency while processing AI workloads at the edge.

The initiative has attracted major U.S. partners. T-Mobile will trial the AI-RAN system in 2026, focusing on performance, efficiency, and customer experience improvements. Dell Technologies will provide compute infrastructure through its PowerEdge servers, enabling scalable upgrades from 5G to 6G.

Beyond mobile infrastructure, NVIDIA and Nokia plan to integrate Nokia's SR Linux software with NVIDIA's Spectrum-X Ethernet platform for AI data centers and explore incorporating Nokia's optical networking technologies into future AI architectures.

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