News Summary:
- Leading global telecom operators are expanding NVIDIA-powered computing across their networks to deliver advanced services closer to people and businesses, improve wireless experience and automate network operations.
- T-Mobile completes the world’s first AI-RAN call on a commercial network, while BT, Deutsche Telekom and Elisa announce AI-RAN pilots on live networks using Nokia’s CUDA-accelerated anyRAN software on NVIDIA Aerial RAN Computer, and NVIDIA introduces new Aerial RAN Computer configurations for high-capacity sites.
- Nine EMEA telecom operators are building and expanding NVIDIA-powered infrastructure across centralized and distributed locations.
- Operators and software partners are adopting NVIDIA Nemotron open models to deliver agentic services and develop agents for autonomous network operations.
BERLIN, Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTC Berlin -- NVIDIA today announced that leading global telecom operators are turning their networks into distributed intelligence platforms, adding NVIDIA accelerated computing to centralized data centers, metro sites and cell sites so they can serve models and applications closer to the people, businesses and machines that use them.
T-Mobile has completed the world’s first AI-RAN call on a live network in Bellevue, Washington, with NVIDIA and Nokia. Deutsche Telekom is advancing physical AI for industries, and Orange is introducing new voice intelligence services for enterprises and emergency responders. Elisa has completed Europe’s first field trial of AI-RAN, running voice, mobile data and vision AI together on a single accelerated computing platform over 5G, and BT is preparing live AI-RAN trials in the U.K. Nokia is bringing its anyRAN software on NVIDIA Aerial RAN Computer (ARC) for trials at BT, Deutsche Telekom, Elisa and Orange.
Nine operators across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are building or expanding NVIDIA-powered infrastructure, while Nokia and Cisco are incorporating NVIDIA Nemotron™ open models into the software operators use to run autonomous networks.
“Telecom networks were built to carry the world’s conversations. Now, they will also carry the world’s intelligence,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Leading global operators are turning their land, power and connectivity into a distributed AI infrastructure — bringing intelligence closer to the industries, people and robots that use it. With Nokia, we’re extending accelerated computing into the radio network itself, creating the foundation for AI-native 5G.”
Intelligence is built in five layers: land, power and shell, chips, infrastructure, models and applications. Telecom operators already own sovereign infrastructure at the first layer, with data centers, regional sites and cell sites that have power, fiber and spectrum.
By adding NVIDIA accelerated computing, open models and applications on top, operators are building the full intelligence stack into their networks. At distributed sites, a common converged platform based on the AI-RAN architecture can serve open models, power robotics, voice and agentic applications, and run intelligent 5G software.
Europe’s Leading Telcos Build Distributed Infrastructure
Infrastructure sits at the foundation of telecom’s transition to distributed service platforms.
Deutsche Telekom plans to expand its NVIDIA-powered Industrial AI Cloud, which hosts open models — including NVIDIA Nemotron and Soofi — and serves robotics companies such as Agile Robots. At distributed sites, Deutsche Telekom is piloting AI-RAN trials with Nokia and NVIDIA, and demonstrating NVIDIA ARC to run inference between the device and the network edge.
A GTC Berlin demonstration with Agile Robots shows the approach: on-robot intelligence handles real-time perception and action, a model at the distributed edge supports fine-tuning and coordination across robots, and the central infrastructure provides capacity for larger training workloads.
Orange is hosting open models, including NVIDIA Nemotron, as a managed service on top of its Live Intelligence trusted AI platform, enabling new advanced services for enterprises. At distributed sites, Orange is deploying NVIDIA ARC for voice intelligence applications using Nemotron Speech, demonstrating new services to help emergency and field services teams translate across multiple languages in real time with low latency and reliability.
Elisa has deployed NVIDIA ARC at a distributed network location, running a voice intelligence application that serves as an enterprise assistant, and is using open models to build edge applications.
EMEA telcos are building or expanding NVIDIA-powered infrastructure:
- New infrastructure: CRA in the Czech Republic, etisalat in the United Arab Emirates, Silknet in Georgia and TIM in Italy.
- Expansions: Cassava in Africa, Deutsche Telekom in Germany, Fastweb + Vodafone in Italy, Kazakhtelecom in Central Asia and Orion Telecom in Serbia.
AI-RAN Brings Accelerated Computing Into the Radio Network
AI-RAN extends accelerated computing into the radio access network (RAN), turning it into an intelligence workload that runs on the same platform as advanced services, so operators can get more out of their spectrum while serving demand from sites close to users.
Globally, nearly 20 telecom operators have publicly announced AI-RAN collaborations using Nokia anyRAN software and NVIDIA ARC.
- T-Mobile recently marked the world’s first AI-RAN call on its commercial network in Bellevue, Washington, running on commercial ARC servers, Nokia’s NVIDIA CUDA-accelerated RAN software and massive multiple-input multiple-output radios, and connected to an existing 5G Standalone core and a commercial smartphone.
- BT is planning live AI-RAN trials in Birmingham, England, with Nokia and NVIDIA in 2027.
- Deutsche Telekom has validated Nokia and NVIDIA’s commercial AI-RAN platform in Bonn and Oulu labs, including AI-enhanced uplink channel estimation to improve uplink user throughput, with plans to move to field trials in 2027.
- Elisa simultaneously ran voice, mobile data and video analytics on the NVIDIA ARC platform, marking a European first in Elisa’s over-the-air field environment using 5G spectrum. The trial clears the way for distributed deployment and commercial AI-RAN services in 2027.
- Orange is testing Nokia 5G software on NVIDIA ARC, focusing on AI-RAN spectral efficiency improvements and support for edge services in live networks.
NVIDIA is introducing two ARC configurations — MGX 2U and MGX 4U — designed for dense, high-capacity intelligence and radio workloads, typically deployed at centralized RAN sites. Powered by NVIDIA RTX PRO™ 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs, the configurations will offer x86 and NVIDIA Vera CPU options. Dell Technologies, Quanta Cloud Technology and Supermicro will offer ARC-ready servers.
Open Models Power Autonomous Network Operations
Leading telcos are using open models and agents to speed progress toward fully autonomous network operations. NVIDIA Nemotron open models and NVIDIA Agent Toolkit software are now integrated into leading partners’ commercial software, powering specialized agents built for telecom network workflows.
Nokia is integrating NVIDIA Nemotron into its Autonomous Networks Suite and using NVIDIA Agent Toolkit software to build and deploy trusted agents that manage operations across fixed, radio, core and transport networks.
Cisco has fine-tuned NVIDIA Nemotron models and integrated them into Crosswork AI, creating a common agentic layer across its Crosswork Network Automation software to manage IP and optical transport networks. The company is also using NVIDIA Agent Toolkit to help telcos operate agents safely.
TCS is working with telcos to fine-tune NVIDIA Nemotron models and use NVIDIA Agent Toolkit to build specialized agents that validate radio-site builds, detect, diagnose and auto-remediate network issues, and deliver multilingual voice experiences. BT is adopting Nemotron to build agents that inspect field-installation photos, detect problems and help reduce repeat site visits.
NTT DATA is extending its NextGenOSS platform with fine-tuned NVIDIA Nemotron models and NVIDIA Agent Toolkit to build agents that detect early network degradation, identify likely root causes and recommend next actions.
Watch the GTC Berlin keynote from Huang and explore sessions.
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NVIDIA Corporation
press@nvidia.com
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