Collaborators include BT, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom and its subsidiary T-Mobile, and Nokia.

Nvidia has announced a new joint project with global telecommunication leaders to fast track AI-ready 6G infrastructure.

Expected to be commercially adopted before the end of the decade, 6G promises leaps in advances compared to 5G, particularly designed for AI, digital twinning and other new innovations.

The announcement came over the weekend, just ahead of the Mobile World Capital telecom conference in Barcelona kicking off today (2 March).

Nvidia argues that 6G is key for physical AI to help ensure autonomous machines, vehicles and robots can operate and also remain secure. The company hopes that by bringing the telco industry together, it can advance open and secure AI-native wireless platforms. The partnership will attempt to embed AI across the radio access network (RAN), and edge and core.

The large pack of collaborators includes BT, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom and its subsidiary T-Mobile, Nokia, SK Telecom and Sweden’s Ericsson. Also participating are US consultancy firm Booz Allen, the not-for-profit research group Mitre, AI RAN provider ODC, and the Japanese investment group SoftBank. Many are repeat collaborators with Nvidia that already have other ongoing 6G-related projects.

According to Nvidia, the new commitment complements its ongoing industry and government partnerships across Europe, Japan, Korea, the UK and the US.

The AI chipmaking giant is also a founding member of the ‘AI-RAN Alliance’, which currently has more than 130 participating companies working toward accelerating AI-RAN innovation. According to the company, 6G networks built on AI-RAN architecture will continuously evolve through software, enabling real-time intelligence and rapid advancement.

“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.”

The multi-trillion-dollar semiconductor manufacturer has a huge stake in ensuring further and continued adoption of AI. The company already offers chips and software for use in networks, and recently launched open-source AI models for newer autonomous vehicles.

Allison Kirkby, chief executive of BT Group, added: “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.”

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