Nokia launches commercial AI-RAN platform based on anyRAN and NVIDIA Aerial AI-RAN

Nokia said it released a commercial AI-RAN platform aimed at increasing radio access network capacity using AI-native software and accelerated computing. The company tied the effort to enabling more capacity from existing spectrum and radio infrastructure.

Nokia described the platform as a way for operators to add AI-driven capabilities without relying on traditional hardware upgrade cycles. It said the approach used a software subscription model and targeted improvements in spectral efficiency, network optimization, and future AI-native features activated through software.

Nokia said the platform ran on Nokia’s AI-native anyRAN software and NVIDIA’s Aerial AI-RAN platform, with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing applied to the baseband. It stated the platform supported three new accelerated computing baseband options, remained fully ORAN compliant, and supported open, interoperable multi-vendor deployments.

Nokia said providers could adopt AI-RAN using three hardware paths: an expansion card for existing AirScale deployments, a standalone GPU-powered AI-RAN node, and GPU-powered AI-RAN COTS server solutions for cloud-native architectures delivered through ecosystem partners. It also said the GPU-powered AirScale capacity plug-in unit used Nokia’s installed AirScale base and included a software upgrade path for existing Nokia customers.

“AI-RAN is the biggest innovation in radio in decades. AI-RAN makes the network intelligent, extends AI into the physical world, and allows telcos to get more from their existing infrastructure, including a software upgrade path to 6G. Nokia’s anyRAN software, powered by NVIDIA’s Aerial AI-RAN platform, unlocks greater performance from the spectrum operators already have and can be deployed with existing Nokia or ORAN-compliant radio units. For operators, that means more performance, better returns and faster delivery of new services,” said Justin Hotard, President and Chief Executive Officer at Nokia.

Nokia said it expected pilot deployments to begin at the end of 2026 and commercial availability in 2027, with spectral efficiency targets of more than 100% gains by 2028 and at least 50% by 2027.

Provided by Globe Newswire on behalf of Nokia. Click to read original content.