Ericsson and Nokia Debate Competing Visions for 6G RAN Compute
A strategic debate over the future of Radio Access Network (RAN) compute architecture is intensifying between Ericsson and Nokia. The core of the disagreement centers on how and where compute should be distributed within the network to support AI-native 6G applications. The outcome of this high-stakes standardization battle will likely influence 3GPP and Open RAN forums, shaping technical specifications and market dynamics for the next decade.
- Ericsson is championing the use of custom, purpose-built silicon (ASICs) for the 6G RAN, integrating neural network accelerators directly into their radio units to handle functions like beamforming and channel estimation with high energy efficiency. This strategy leverages their existing strengths in hardware design and aims to optimize performance and power consumption at the cell site. - In contrast, Nokia is aligning with Nvidia to position the RAN as a distributed AI compute fabric, planning to integrate Nvidia's GPU-based accelerated platforms into its AirScale baseband products for 5G-Advanced and 6G. This partnership was solidified by a $1 billion equity investment from Nvidia into Nokia, with operator trials of their joint AI-RAN solutions scheduled through 2026 and commercial availability targeted for 2027. - The debate extends to where third-party AI applications will run; Nokia’s vision supports running these workloads directly on the baseband's accelerated compute, creating new edge computing opportunities. Ericsson's approach is more conservative, suggesting that while some AI will be in the RAN, other workloads might be better placed on local User Plane Functions (UPFs), creating what some analysts term an "AI core". - This architectural divergence has significant business implications; RAN constitutes about 60% of Ericsson's revenue and 40% of Nokia's, making the correct 6G architectural bet critical for future market share and profitability. - The O-RAN Alliance is a key venue for these discussions, with its Next Generation Research Group (nGRG) specifically tasked with exploring 6G use cases and identifying gaps in the current architecture to steer future standards. The Alliance's focus on open, intelligent, and virtualized networks will influence how these competing compute strategies are adopted. - Standardization body 3GPP has begun its formal work on 6G, with technical studies underway and the first normative specifications expected in Release 21, which is anticipated to be finalized around 2029 for initial commercial deployments by 2030. The decisions made in 3GPP's RAN and System Architecture working groups will be heavily influenced by the real-world performance data emerging from the competing approaches. - A newly formed industry body, the AI-RAN Alliance, where both Nokia and Ericsson are members alongside Nvidia and T-Mobile, aims to create a unified framework for AI in wireless networks. Its working groups are focused on "AI-for-RAN" (improving network performance), "AI-and-RAN" (running RAN and AI workloads on shared infrastructure), and "AI-on-RAN" (enabling new AI applications over the network).
