Nvidia, Global Telecom Groups Back AI-Driven 6G Push
Operators and vendors seek to embed AI into 6G networks ahead of commercial rollout later this decade.
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[Image source: Krishna Prasad/MITSMR Middle East]
Nvidia is teaming up with global telecom operators, infrastructure vendors and research groups to develop what it calls AI native, open and secure 6G wireless networks.
The coalition includes Booz Allen Hamilton, BT Group, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, MITRE, Nokia, the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation, ODC, SK Telecom, SoftBank Corp. and T-Mobile.
The group said it aims to shape 6G standards and architectures before commercial rollout later in the decade, with a focus on openness, interoperability and built-in security.
Unlike 5G, which was primarily marketed around faster mobile broadband and lower latency, 6G is being framed as infrastructure for so-called “physical AI” applications, including autonomous vehicles, robotics and large-scale sensor networks.
Those use cases would require wireless networks capable of real-time intelligence, integrated sensing and stronger cybersecurity. Existing architectures were largely designed around human communication and may struggle to handle machine-to-machine workloads at scale.
Nvidia said embedding artificial intelligence across the radio access network, edge and core will be central to meeting those demands. The approach builds on the concept of AI-RAN, which integrates AI into network operations and relies more heavily on software-defined, programmable systems rather than fixed-function hardware.
“AI is redefining computing and driving the largest infrastructure buildout in human history, and telecommunications is next,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia. “Together with a global coalition of industry leaders, Nvidia is building AI-RAN to transform the world’s telecom networks into AI infrastructure everywhere.”
For telecom operators, the messaging around 6G extends beyond faster speeds. Executives describe it as a foundational layer for future economic growth and industrial automation.
Allison Kirkby, chief executive of BT Group, said: “Connectivity is the backbone of economic growth, and with this collaboration, we’re helping lay the foundations for a future ecosystem that is intelligent, sustainable, and secure. By building on open and trustworthy AI native platforms, we can simplify future technologies like 6G, ensuring they build upon the strengths of today’s 5G networks while still unlocking powerful new capabilities at scale.”
In the US, policymakers are also signaling strategic interest. Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said: “America’s 6G leadership will be critical to our nation’s economic prosperity, national security, and global competitiveness. Today’s announcement demonstrates that the US and our allies and partners around the world are leading in this next-generation technology. We look forward to the next steps from this international industry coalition as they advance and implement their shared 6G vision.”
Asian operators participating in the initiative echoed similar themes of AI-led infrastructure transformation.
The announcement also ties into several public-private initiatives across regions.
In the US, Nvidia has joined the FutureG Office-led OCUDU Initiative to accelerate open and AI-native 6G architectures. The company is also a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance, which includes more than 130 participating firms working on integrating AI into radio networks.
In October, Nvidia, along with Booz Allen, Cisco, T-Mobile, MITRE, and ODC, launched the AI-Native Wireless Networks (AI-WIN) project, aimed at building an all-American AI-RAN stack.
Collaborations are underway in Korea, the UK, and across Europe and Japan, where governments are investing in open, interoperable network infrastructure to reduce supply chain risks and encourage domestic innovation.
