The Finnish vendor said the platform has already demonstrated spectral efficiency gains of over 20% through AI-driven radio innovations, with a roadmap targeting 50% by 2027 and more than 100% by 2028, effectively doubling capacity from spectrum operators already hold, without new hardware cycles. The announcement builds on the $1 billion strategic investment Nvidia made in Nokia at GTC Washington last October, when the pair first unveiled plans for AI-native RAN products alongside Nvidia’s Arc Aerial RAN Computer platform. T-Mobile US and Dell Technologies were named partners at the time, with T-Mobile committing to field trials through 2026.
Nokia’s anyRAN software will run across three new accelerated-computing baseband platforms, offered through a software subscription model rather than a hardware refresh. These include a GPU-powered plug-in card for existing AirScale deployments, a standalone AI-RAN node for greenfield or clustered deployment, and a Cloud RAN option built on COTS servers via ecosystem partners. All three remain fully Open RAN compliant, Nokia said, preserving multi-vendor interoperability.
Marvell’s accelerated merchant silicon also features in the broader ecosystem strategy. Pilot deployments are scheduled for late 2026, with commercial availability targeted for 2027. “AI-RAN is the biggest innovation in radio in decades,” said Nokia president and CEO Justin Hotard, adding that it gives telcos “a software upgrade path to 6G.” Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang described the move as bringing “CUDA and AI into the baseband,” transforming RAN into what he called “a planet-scale AI computer.” Omdia’s Rémy Pascal welcomed the expanded hardware options, saying they give operators “practical choices for adopting AI-native networks based on their existing infrastructure and transformation goals.” The AI-RAN market is projected to exceed $200 billion cumulatively by 2030, according to analyst estimates cited by Nvidia. RELATED STORIES Nokia and Taiwan Mobile team up to build AI-native 5G network in Taiwan AI-RAN Alliance: Building the intelligent networks of tomorrow ITW Asia 2026 01 December 2026 ITW Asia brings together the whole connectivity and digital infrastructure industry to get business done.
Join 1700+ leaders from carriers, MNOs, cloud solution providers, hyperscalers, content service providers, data centres, satellite operators, investors, regulatory authorities and more, to define the future of connectivity in Asia. Register now See event details Saf Malik Senior Content and Insights Manager