They say, “AI-RAN is a game-changing technology because it will enhance the current Open RAN architecture”
We talked about telcos needing to work in ecosystems for so long and nothing much happened. Now it’s hard to keep up with the announcements. Here’s another one. T-Mobile US, which describes “its 5G leadership position [as being] already years ahead of its closest competitor” is to collaborate with NVIDIA, Ericsson and Nokia on AI-RAN. T-Mobile is Deutsche Telekom’s US subsidiary.
T-Mobile says AI-RAN will work with other 5G Advanced features that are being developed with its partners. AI-RAN concepts will be built in an open and containerised manner like Open RAN, with virtualised RAN and core components managed from a central cloud.
However, the four say that, “AI-RAN is a game-changing technology because it will enhance the current Open RAN architecture with the addition of the accelerated computing that GPUs can bring to the intense network processing workloads of the future.
“In other words, this partnership aims to show that AI-RAN will make the promises of Open RAN more viable, while also going beyond.”
AI-RAN Alliance
The four are founding members of the AI-RAN Alliance and are investing in “an industry-first” AI-RAN Innovation Center based in Bellevue, Washington. Its purpose is to unite innovation in RAN and AI “to deliver transformational network experiences for customers through the development of AI-RAN”.
They promise that AI-RAN will “dramatically improve customers’ real-world network experiences and ever-growing demand for increased speeds, reduced latency, and increased reliability needed for the latest gaming, video, social media and augmented reality applications they like to enjoy on their mobile and fixed wireless devices.”
Apparently this will be achieved using “billions of data points to devise algorithms that determine optimal network adjustments for maximum performance and to predict real-time capacity where customers need it”.
Hence AI will improve RAN performance and automate operations as well as “supercharge mobile network infrastructure to simultaneously run third-party AI application workloads at the network edge”.
Generative AI and robotics
Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile (pictured), said, “Just like T-Mobile led in 5G, we intend to lead in the next wave of network technology, for the benefit of our customers. AI-RAN at T-Mobile will be all about unlocking the massive capacity and performance that customers increasingly demand from mobile networks.
“AI-RAN has tremendous potential to completely transform the future of mobile networks, but it will be difficult to get right. That’s why T-Mobile is jumping in now to help lead the way with our partners. This collaboration between T-Mobile, NVIDIA, Nokia and Ericsson will truly define what’s next in mobile networks in the 5G Advanced era and beyond, and drive real progress where it’s needed.
“This group of visionaries will work together at our new Bellevue AI-RAN Innovation Center, and the partnership will not only propel the mobile network industry forward, but also has the potential to eventually advance many others as well.”
Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, added, “AI will reinvent the wireless communication network and industry – going beyond voice, data, and video to support a wide range of new applications like generative AI and robotics.
“NVIDIA AI Aerial is a platform that unifies communications, computing and AI. Working closely with the industry’s leaders, we will extend AI traffic to wireless networks and use AI to reinvent wireless communications.”
A first-of-its kind AI-RAN cloud-based multipurpose network will have the potential to support not only traditional telecommunications workloads (core network and radio access network: RAN) but also AI workloads (internal and external AI as a Service or AIaaS, a cloud-based paradigm that provides access to AI capabilities in T-Mobile’s network without the need for dedicated, in-house infrastructure).
With increased capacity, energy efficiencies and improved resiliency, the same platform will carry voice, video, data, and also new generative AI applications, and have the ability to make contextual AI-powered decisions around network performance and traffic routing for different applications and circumstances. Customers will benefit from better contextual, predictive and frictionless experiences on their devices. AI-RAN will also create significant enterprise cost savings and revenue growth that could also be applied to a variety of other businesses and industries.