Nokia and Deutsche Telekom expand strategic collaboration to advance AI-native and Open RAN innovation #MWC26
Press Release
Nokia and Deutsche Telekom expand strategic collaboration to advance AI-native and Open RAN innovation #MWC26
- Nokia and Deutsche Telekom deepen collaboration to accelerate AI‑native and Open RAN innovation
- Expanded program strengthens joint work on Cloud RAN, open interfaces and multivendor network flexibility
- Partnership to drive next‑generation autonomous RAN capabilities through real‑world AI validation and co‑creation
2 March 2026
Espoo, Finland - Nokia and Deutsche Telekom today announced an expansion of their long-standing collaboration to accelerate the development of cloud-based, disaggregated and AI‑native radio access network (RAN) technologies. The strengthened ‘Innovation Cooperation Program’ deepens joint work in Cloud RAN, open interfaces and next‑generation AI‑native RAN solutions aimed at enabling high-performance, multivendor mobile networks. The companies have a long history of co-creation focused on advancing open, flexible architectures. Their expanded effort underscores a shared commitment to improving network efficiency, programmability and long-term operational value for service providers.
Supporting Deutsche Telekom’s Open RAN Strategy
Nokia and Deutsche Telekom are increasing cooperation on Open Fronthaul (OFH) integration, building on earlier success linking Nokia baseband units with third-party O-RAN‑compliant radio units in Germany. Additional multivendor integrations for OFH and Cloud RAN are underway within confidential development programs. Open Fronthaul adoption, cloudified baseband and network softwarization remain key components of Deutsche Telekom’s O‑RAN strategy. A vendor-independent Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) platform is another critical pillar, enabling centralized control across multivendor RAN environments.
Both companies are also advancing O-RAN-aligned management capabilities through open O1 interfaces, expanding work into configuration management and additional functions that support long-term vendor-agnostic operations. Seamless integration into Deutsche Telekom’s in-house SMO platform continues to shape the operator’s vision for flexible and future-ready network management.
Strategic Collaboration on AI‑Native RAN
Nokia will collaborate with Deutsche Telekom as its strategic co-creation partner for AI‑native RAN (AI-RAN) development. The joint initiative aims to accelerate the introduction of intelligent and autonomous RAN functions across cloud, edge and radio domains. Areas of focus include:
- Developing high‑impact AI‑native RAN use cases, such as AI-powered receivers, channel estimation and prediction, adaptive beamforming and predictive network optimization. These capabilities are expected to enhance spectral efficiency, user experience and network automation.
- Validating AI technologies in lab and live environments, with proof‑of‑concept trials planned at Deutsche Telekom Labs and in the field to evaluate AI‑for‑RAN performance under real-world conditions.
- Establishing open, disaggregated AI‑native RAN architectures, ensuring AI is consistently embedded across network layers using standards-aligned, interoperable interfaces.
Pallavi Mahajan, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Nokia, said, “AI‑native RAN represents a fundamental shift in how networks will be built and operated. Our expanded collaboration with Deutsche Telekom allows us to jointly accelerate this transformation, combining our technology leadership with their vision for truly open, software-driven mobile networks. Together, we are laying the foundation for highly automated, high-performance networks that can adapt instantly to user and service needs.”
Abdurazak Mudesir, Member of the Board of Management Deutsche Telekom AG, Product and Technology, said: “As we move toward fully programmable and autonomous networks, AI‑native RAN and open interfaces are essential building blocks. Nokia has been a trusted partner in our Open RAN journey, and deepening this collaboration is an important step toward achieving multi-vendor flexibility at scale. With this joint work, we aim to deliver networks that are more efficient, more resilient and ready for the next era of digital services.”
Building the Next Generation of Mobile Networks
The expanded partnership is designed to deliver a new generation of high-performance, programmable and AI-powered mobile networks that are simpler to operate, faster to adapt, and better optimized for future connectivity demands.
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