Telecom Revolution: Global Operators Integrate AI and 5G Networks via NVIDIA and Nokia Technologies
Transforming Telecom Networks into Distributed Smart Platforms
Global telecommunications leaders are restructuring their networks into distributed platforms designed to run AI applications. Driven by accelerated computing technologies from U.S.-based NVIDIA and Finland’s Nokia, this shift enables running AI models closer to end-users and enterprises while optimizing wireless performance and fully automating network operations.
Global Milestones and Field Trials for AI-RAN
The telecommunications sector has recorded major practical breakthroughs, including:
T-Mobile: Successfully conducted the world's first commercial call leveraging AI Radio Access Network (AI-RAN) technology in Bellevue, Washington.
Deutsche Telekom & Elisa: Deutsche Telekom completed lab tests in Germany and Finland, while Finland's Elisa executed Europe's first field trial running voice, mobile data, and video analytics concurrently on a single computing platform.
Future Plans: UK's BT Group is preparing for live field trials in Birmingham in 2027, while France's Orange is testing Nokia software on NVIDIA’s platform.
Regional Expansion and Advanced Aerial RAN Infrastructure
Nine telecom operators across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are building or expanding infrastructure powered by NVIDIA. These include e& (Etisalat) in the UAE, the Czech Telecommunication Office, Georgia's Silknet, and Italy's TIM. To meet these demands, NVIDIA plans to release two new versions of its Aerial RAN Computer platform (MGX 2U and MGX 4U) powered by NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs.
Network Automation via Open AI Models and Intelligent Agents
Operators are increasingly adopting open AI models and intelligent agents—such as NVIDIA Nemotron—to enable self-managing networks that automatically detect, diagnose, and resolve faults. Companies such as Cisco, TCS, and NTT DATA are integrating these models into their operational platforms to minimize site visits and boost maintenance efficiency across fixed, radio, core, and transport networks.