Nokia, Nvidia, and SK Telecom Are Quietly Building the Network That Comes After 5G — and 2026 Is the Year It Gets Serious
The global race to define next-generation wireless networks has shifted from conference stages to live deployments. Industry heavyweights are committing billions of dollars and forging strategic alliances that will determine who controls the architecture of tomorrow’s connected world.
While most consumers still navigate a patchwork 5G rollout, a select group of telecom giants, chipmakers, and operators are already hard at work laying the groundwork for 6G — and the moves they make in 2026 will set the terms of competition for the next decade.
The $1 Billion Bet Reshaping the Radio Network
Nvidia made its ambitions in the telecom sector unmistakably clear by committing a US$1 billion investment in Nokia. The deal carries a specific strategic purpose: it aims to integrate AI-RAN — the embedding of artificial intelligence directly into the radio access network — into Nokia’s 5G-Advanced and 6G networks.
Nokia Demonstrates Real Progress at MWC 2026
Nokia says it has managed new customer integrations and performed functional demonstrations of GPU-accelerated AI-RAN at MWC 2026. The Finnish vendor describes the collaboration with Nvidia as one that underscores the transformative potential of AI-driven radio access networks in advancing 5G capabilities and laying the foundation for AI-native 6G.
The list of operators already working alongside Nokia and Nvidia grows with each announcement. The two firms have been working with BT, Elisa, NTT DOCOMO, and Vodafone to deploy AI-RAN technology, which Nokia says enhances network performance and supports the explosive growth in mobile AI traffic. Nokia also highlighted a project with T-Mobile US involving GPU-accelerated workloads at its AI-RAN Innovation Centre in Seattle.
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Hardware Built for the AI Era
Nokia is backing its software ambitions with new physical infrastructure. The new Doksuri Remote Radio Heads promise up to a 30% improvement in power efficiency with higher output power and lower energy consumption under typical network conditions, a new mounting system that cuts installation time by up to 70%, and hardware that is up to 25% lighter.
Pallavi Mahajan, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Nokia, says the next-generation radio portfolio brings advanced processing closer to the edge, enabling operators to meet rising AI-driven traffic demands while reducing energy consumption and total cost of ownership.
SK Telecom and Samsung Join the AI-RAN Push
Nokia and Nvidia are not alone. SK Telecom and Samsung have pledged to team up on AI-RAN for future use in 6G networks. Industry analysts view these coordinated moves as a deliberate attempt to leapfrog competitors and accelerate a technology that, until recently, remained largely theoretical.
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Ericsson Joins OCUDU, Signals Its 6G Intentions
Ericsson took a separate but equally significant step at MWC 2026. The OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation will explore the dual use of commercial 5G technologies in defense applications, with Ericsson contributing architectural guidance, ensuring technology neutrality, and advancing research-driven use cases.
Ericsson CTO Erik Ekudden stated that joining OCUDU as a founding premier member reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to open innovation and the development of trusted, secure networks.
Ericsson Reports Strong Financials Heading Into 2026
Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm highlighted that Q4 results demonstrated solid execution of strategic priorities, including organic growth in a flat RAN market environment, driven by progress in mission critical networks, 5G core, and Enterprise segments. The board proposed an increased dividend of SEK 3.00 per share and also sought a mandate for a share buyback of SEK 15 billion.
6G: Incremental Arrival, Not a Big Bang
Despite the headline announcements, expectations around 6G remain grounded. 5G remains unfinished business for much of the telecoms ecosystem, and operators have zero appetite for anything resembling another major upgrade cycle.
It appears likely that 6G will arrive incrementally, and the announcement of its arrival will owe as much to the dawn of a new decade as to any profound technological breakthrough.
While the first commercial 6G services do not arrive until 2030, serious research is already underway, with Juniper Research expecting 2026 to see an acceleration in 6G research with a particular emphasis on Terahertz spectrum innovation.
Terahertz: The Frontier of 6G Research
Researchers at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Florida International University built a J-band terahertz testbed operating between 220 GHz and 330 GHz to study how signals behave at ultra-high frequencies.
Research Director Dr. Arjun Singh described the terahertz band as the next great leap in communication technology, noting that the work provides the experimental setup for understanding how these signals behave as they transition between near-field and far-field regions — understanding essential to building the next generation of high-speed, energy-efficient, and secure wireless systems.
The Monetization Problem Telecoms Cannot Ignore
Behind every 6G announcement sits an uncomfortable truth. The telecoms industry identifies the failure to monetize 5G as one of its biggest ongoing problems. Juniper Research argues that in developing 6G networks, the focus should shift from pure speed gains to efficiency and modularity — a move that positions operators to benefit from emerging monetization models, notably usage-based pricing.
In a recent Telecoms.com survey, telcos identified increased pressure to lower prices and margins as the greatest potential threat to their long-term business success. Market saturation, intensifying competition, and regulatory evolution all compound the pressure — even as shareholders demand higher returns.
O2 Makes History With Europe’s First Pre-Assembled Mast
On the hardware front, O2 has laid claim to installing Europe’s first pre-assembled mobile mast as part of the ongoing £700 million upgrade of its nationwide network — a sign that practical network modernization continues at pace alongside the longer-horizon 6G planning.
AEO: People Also Ask
What is AI-RAN and why does it matter for 6G?
AI-RAN embeds artificial intelligence directly into radio access networks. Nokia and Nvidia are developing it to boost 5G performance today and serve as the foundation for 6G. It allows networks to process data faster, consume less energy, and handle growing mobile traffic more efficiently.
When will 6G launch commercially?
Commercial 6G services are not expected until 2030. Research is accelerating in 2026, particularly around Terahertz spectrum. Nokia, Ericsson, SK Telecom, and Samsung are all investing now to shape the standard before the commercial race begins.
How much did Nvidia invest in Nokia for 5G and 6G?
Nvidia committed US$1 billion to Nokia. The investment targets the integration of AI-RAN technology into Nokia’s 5G-Advanced and 6G networks, with live deployments already underway with operators including BT, Vodafone, NTT DOCOMO, and T-Mobile US.
What is the OCUDU initiative in telecoms?
OCUDU is a consortium building an open-source software platform for 5G and future networks. Ericsson joined as a founding premier member at MWC 2026. The initiative focuses on dual-use commercial and defense applications and aims to accelerate innovation for AI-powered 5G and AI-native 6G.
