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Joerg Hiller Nov 13, 2024 15:53
NVIDIA's AI-RAN technology, in collaboration with SoftBank, is transforming telecom networks, offering multi-purpose infrastructure and opening new AI opportunities for telcos.
The telecommunications industry is on the cusp of a significant transformation with the introduction of AI-RAN technology, a cutting-edge innovation pioneered by NVIDIA in collaboration with SoftBank. This development promises to redefine how telecom networks operate, offering new opportunities for AI integration and enhancing the capabilities of existing infrastructure.
AI-RAN, or AI Radio Access Network, is set to revolutionize traditional telecom systems by integrating AI workloads with wireless network operations. Unlike traditional CPU or ASIC-based RAN systems, which are limited to specific tasks, AI-RAN utilizes a GPU-based infrastructure capable of handling both AI and wireless workloads simultaneously. This shift transforms networks from being single-purpose to multi-purpose, turning telecom sites into potential revenue sources rather than mere cost centers, according to NVIDIA.
SoftBank has been at the forefront of bringing AI-RAN to life, conducting a successful outdoor field trial in Fujisawa City, Japan. This trial demonstrated the feasibility of AI-RAN by integrating NVIDIA’s accelerated hardware and software, achieving carrier-grade virtual RAN performance, and showcasing real-world AI applications. The trial marked the world’s first outdoor 5G AI-RAN field test, setting a benchmark for future developments in this domain.
The AI-RAN solution developed by SoftBank incorporates NVIDIA’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip and Bluefield-3 for networking, enabling a full 5G virtual RAN stack that is entirely software-defined. This integration allows for seamless orchestration of AI and RAN workloads, maximizing resource utilization and enhancing energy efficiency. The trial demonstrated that AI-RAN could achieve almost 100% capacity utilization, a significant improvement over traditional RAN-only networks.
The adoption of AI-RAN not only enhances performance but also offers substantial economic and environmental benefits. The NVIDIA-accelerated AI-RAN infrastructure demonstrated superior energy efficiency, consuming significantly less power than traditional RAN systems. From an economic perspective, the infrastructure promises high profitability, with the potential to generate five times the revenue over five years for every dollar invested, offering a lucrative opportunity for telcos.
As the telecom industry embraces AI-RAN, it stands on the brink of becoming a global AI service provider. NVIDIA and SoftBank’s ongoing collaboration aims to further commercialize AI-RAN and expand its applications, potentially transforming 5G and 6G networks worldwide. With AI-RAN, telcos can harness accelerated computing to offer AI services, marking a new era of innovation and growth in the telecommunications sector.
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