Unlocking New AI Opportunities for Telcos: The AI-RAN Revolution
Summary
The AI-RAN technology is transforming the telecom industry by enabling telcos to run RAN and AI workloads concurrently on a common GPU-based infrastructure. This multi-purpose infrastructure turns networks from single-purpose to multi-purpose, opening up new revenue streams and opportunities for telcos to become the AI grid that facilitates the creation, distribution, and consumption of AI across industries, consumers, and enterprises.
The AI-RAN Opportunity
AI-RAN technology is a new approach to telco networks that enables the concurrent running of RAN and AI workloads on a common GPU-based infrastructure. This technology is designed to turn networks from single-purpose to multi-purpose infrastructures, enabling telcos to become the AI grid that facilitates the creation, distribution, and consumption of AI across industries, consumers, and enterprises.
Key Principles of AI-RAN
- Multi-tenancy: AI-RAN technology enables the concurrent running of RAN and AI workloads on a common infrastructure, dividing resources based on time of day or percentage of compute.
- Orchestration: An orchestrator is required to provision, de-provision, or shift workloads seamlessly based on available capacity.
- Common Infrastructure: AI-RAN technology uses a common GPU-based infrastructure that can run both wireless and AI workloads concurrently.
The Benefits of AI-RAN
New Revenue Streams
AI-RAN technology opens up new revenue streams for telcos by enabling them to offer AI services to enterprises and consumers. This includes services such as AI-powered data analytics, AI-driven customer service, and AI-enabled IoT applications.
Improved Network Efficiency
AI-RAN technology improves network efficiency by enabling the concurrent running of RAN and AI workloads on a common infrastructure. This reduces the need for separate infrastructures for RAN and AI, resulting in cost savings and improved network performance.
Enhanced Customer Experience
AI-RAN technology enhances the customer experience by enabling telcos to offer AI-powered services that improve network performance and provide personalized customer experiences.
The NVIDIA AI Aerial Platform
The NVIDIA AI Aerial platform is a suite of accelerated computing software and hardware designed to optimize wireless networks and serve the next-generation needs of generative AI on mobile, robots, autonomous vehicles, smart factories, 5G, and much more.
Key Features of NVIDIA AI Aerial
- Aerial RAN Computer-1: A deployable platform that telcos can adopt globally to turn their networks into multi-purpose infrastructures that serve voice, video, data, and AI traffic.
- AI-RAN Technology Framework: A technology framework that enables telcos to build multi-purpose networks that are AI-native.
- NVIDIA AI Aerial Software: A suite of software that includes tools for designing, simulating, training, and deploying AI-RAN-based 5G and 6G wireless networks.
Real-World Applications of AI-RAN
T-Mobile and NVIDIA Partnership
T-Mobile and NVIDIA have partnered to commercialize AI-RAN technology, enabling T-Mobile to deliver computing closer to their customers and unlock low-latency, secure, and localized AI services seamlessly integrated with their network infrastructure.
SoftBank AI-RAN Solution
SoftBank has developed an AI-RAN solution by integrating hardware and software components from NVIDIA and ecosystem partners, enabling a full 5G vRAN stack that is 100% software-defined and runs on NVIDIA GH200 (CPU+GPU), NVIDIA Bluefield-3 (NIC/DPU), and Spectrum-X for fronthaul and backhaul networking.
Ericsson and Nokia Partnerships
Ericsson and Nokia have partnered with NVIDIA to evaluate the performance and cost of NVIDIA accelerated computing in the context of AI-RAN technology.
Table: Key Benefits of AI-RAN Technology
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| New Revenue Streams | Enables telcos to offer AI services to enterprises and consumers |
| Improved Network Efficiency | Reduces the need for separate infrastructures for RAN and AI |
| Enhanced Customer Experience | Enables telcos to offer AI-powered services that improve network performance and provide personalized customer experiences |
Table: Key Features of NVIDIA AI Aerial
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Aerial RAN Computer-1 | Deployable platform for AI-RAN technology |
| AI-RAN Technology Framework | Enables telcos to build multi-purpose networks that are AI-native |
| NVIDIA AI Aerial Software | Suite of software for designing, simulating, training, and deploying AI-RAN-based 5G and 6G wireless networks |
Conclusion
The AI-RAN technology is revolutionizing the telecom industry by enabling telcos to run RAN and AI workloads concurrently on a common GPU-based infrastructure. This technology opens up new revenue streams, improves network efficiency, and enhances the customer experience. The NVIDIA AI Aerial platform is a key enabler of AI-RAN technology, providing a suite of accelerated computing software and hardware designed to optimize wireless networks and serve the next-generation needs of generative AI.