"6G (sixth-generation mobile communications) is not merely a speed race; it is the process of the network itself evolving into infrastructure that has intelligence and can judge and learn on its own."
Pallavi Mahajan, Nokia Chief Technology and AI Officer, stated accordingly in a written interview with ChosunBiz on the 28th.
Nokia is seeking to secure leadership in 6G by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with next-generation wireless technologies and promoting AI-RAN (AI-based radio access network), a network that operates and optimizes autonomously. Nvidia, which highly evaluated this technological capability, made a $1 billion investment in Nokia in Oct. Nvidia acquired about 166.39 million new Nokia shares at $6.01 per share, securing 2.9% equity and becoming Nokia's second-largest shareholder. Through this, Nokia plans to jointly develop AI-RAN, AI-based wireless communication infrastructure, with Nvidia. AI-RAN is regarded as next-generation communication infrastructure aimed at real-time network optimization for next-generation services such as Autonomous Driving, digital twins, and AI robots.
Mahajan, the chief technology and AI officer, said, "AI-RAN development is an important part of the 6G innovation Nokia is pursuing. AI-based radio access network optimization technology enables dynamic allocation of network resources and will maximize network performance through real-time prediction and automatic adjustment," adding, "This will also enable simultaneous energy savings and latency reduction." The following is a Q&A.
―What are the core technologies in Nokia's 6G roadmap?
"Nokia's 6G roadmap focuses on building an autonomous structure in which the network predicts and adapts on its own, based on the integration of AI and Machine Learning. The core pillars include use of the terahertz (THz) band, network slicing, integration of Edge Computing and cloud, next-generation security technologies such as Quantum-resistant Encryption, and energy-efficiency-centered design. Nokia is pursuing a step-by-step strategy of 'research and standardization → prototypes and trials → commercialization around 2030.'"
―What are Nokia's strengths and differentiators in 6G commercialization compared with competitors?
"Nokia has experience accumulated during the commercialization of 5G (fifth-generation mobile communications) and end-to-end solution capabilities. Its differentiator is the ability to provide base stations, core, transport, and management systems as a single integrated architecture. It also actively participates in standardization and research and development (R&D) through partnerships with global information and communications technology (ICT) corporations, academia, and government agencies, and it places sustainability at the core of its strategy, aligning with the 6G market's emphasis on energy efficiency. I believe these elements will form the foundation of technological leadership in the 6G era."
―What role does AI-based RAN optimization technology play in 6G, and how is it different from 5G?
"AI-based RAN is a technology that fundamentally changes how networks are operated. AI analyzes resources such as spectrum, power, and processing capacity in real time to allocate them dynamically, and resolves failures or performance degradation in advance through predictive maintenance. By analyzing traffic patterns for each user, it can also provide a hyper-personalized network experience. While in 5G AI remained at the level of improving efficiency and automating operations, in 6G an 'cognitive network' that learns traffic, services, and device states in real time will be implemented, creating a structure close to fully autonomous operation, which is the biggest difference."
―What concrete results has Nokia's AI-RAN technology achieved so far?
"On the AI-RAN platform, Nokia has introduced a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based software-defined RAN to help customers gradually advance their networks. After applying AI optimization, internal cases reported up to 30% reductions in energy consumption, and improvements in latency and response speed are enhancing the user experience. We assess that this directly contributes to telecom operators' expense savings and achieving ESG (environmental, social, and governance) goals."
―What synergies does cooperation with Nvidia bring to Nokia's 6G and AI-RAN strategy?
"Nvidia has world-class competitiveness in GPUs and AI chipsets, making it a key partner in strengthening Nokia's AI network technology. Wireless functions central to AI-RAN, such as beamforming and channel estimation, require advanced AI computation; Nvidia GPUs process these complex models in real time to improve spectrum efficiency and quality of service (QoS). Combined with Nokia's anyRAN software approach, it enables flexible network operations that maintain optimal performance across diverse hardware and cloud environments."
―What are the specific plans for cooperation with Nvidia?
"First, we are running a joint research program to discover AI and Edge Computing technologies. Second, we will integrate Nvidia chipsets into Nokia's network and RAN solutions to strengthen competitiveness in performance, efficiency, and energy. Third, the goal is to expand the scope of technology use beyond telecommunications to industry at large. To that end, Nokia has established the AI-RAN Centre with T-Mobile US and Nvidia to validate technologies in real-world environments and develop commercialization models."
―Are there any technical challenges?
"An AI-cloud combined architecture enables an autonomous network that optimizes operations on its own and flexibly reallocates resources according to service demands. To achieve this, it is necessary to build integrated Edge and cloud infrastructure, develop advanced AI models with reliability and transparency, and introduce security systems based on Quantum-resistant Encryption. At the same time, securing new spectrum resources, refining regulations and standards, the expense of building ultra-high-performance infrastructure, and ensuring interoperability with existing 4G and 5G are also major challenges in building 6G."
―What impact will the convergence of 6G and AI have on industries beyond telecommunications and on global cooperation?
"When AI-based networks are fully built, repetitive operational tasks will be automated, and people will focus on strategic decision-making. Predictive analytics will identify potential failures in advance, increasing reliability and availability, and AI will optimize resource allocation and traffic management to reduce expense and energy use. Demand for new connectivity and automation will grow in nearly all industries, including manufacturing, logistics, automotive, healthcare, and Smart City. Nokia plans to work with partners to identify new business opportunities by providing industry-specialized network architectures and service models. Public-private cooperation, international standardization, and industry-academia-research consortia are essential for this, and Nokia is actively working to build an open, intelligent network ecosystem, including participating as a Platinum member of the Open Compute Project (OCP)."