Nvidia is putting $1 billion into Nokia, purchasing shares at $6.01 each, to co-develop AI-powered radio access network technology. The commercial-grade AI-RAN products are slated to hit the market in 2027, with field trials kicking off in 2026.
The partnership was announced at the GTC Washington, D.C. conference on October 28, 2025.
What AI-RAN actually means
AI-RAN stands for Artificial Intelligence Radio Access Network. The technical backbone involves integrating Nvidia’s ARC-Pro platform into Nokia’s existing RAN portfolio, specifically its anyRAN software and AirScale baseband architecture.
T-Mobile US is already actively involved in testing, running demonstrations of concurrent AI and RAN capabilities using Nvidia’s platforms. The operator is focusing on integration and field testing for what both companies describe as AI-native 5G-Advanced and eventually 6G networks. Other telecom operators, including Elisa, SoftBank, and Indosat, are also participating in the broader ecosystem, with a series of demonstrations and functional tests planned through 2026.
