Ericsson and SoftBank Extend AI-RAN Integration Collaboration to Revolutionize Telecommunications and Mobile Networks

(IN BRIEF) Ericsson and SoftBank have made significant progress in their joint AI-RAN integration research, showcasing advancements such as a prototype of Ericsson’s Cloud RAN software running on NVIDIA’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip. The companies have developed an architecture that integrates AI and RAN applications and are expanding their research into AI-RAN orchestration, GPU offloading, and robotic applications. The collaboration, which aims to revolutionize telecommunications and mobile networks, will continue under a new MoU. Both companies are also part of the AI-RAN Alliance, formed to accelerate the integration of AI into RAN technology.

(PRESS RELEASE) STOCKHOLM, 4-Mar-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and SoftBank Corp. today announced significant progress in their ongoing joint research and development efforts to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Radio Access Network (RAN) technologies. The two companies have also agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further extend their collaboration, which aims to unlock the full potential of AI-RAN convergence.

Since the initiation of their partnership, Ericsson and SoftBank have made considerable strides in various key areas, highlighting the transformative possibilities of AI-RAN integration in telecommunications.

Some of their achievements include:

• Successfully demonstrating a prototype of Ericsson Cloud RAN software operating on NVIDIA’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip.
• Developing an architecture that facilitates the orchestration of both RAN and AI applications on a shared infrastructure.

Building on this successful foundation, the companies are now focusing on expanding their research to explore new avenues of innovation:

• Investigating the feasibility of offloading specific RAN functions to the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) using NVIDIA’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip platform.
• Prototyping the orchestration of AI and RAN workloads by coordinating SoftBank’s AITRAS orchestrator with Ericsson’s open network management and automation platform.
• Exploring optimal AI computation placement for robotic applications using Ericsson’s compute offloading framework.

This expanded research collaboration is expected to drive significant advancements not only in RAN and mobile networks but also in the robotics industry, further pushing the boundaries of what AI and RAN integration can achieve.

Jawad Manssour, President and Representative Director at Ericsson Japan, shared his thoughts: “The milestones achieved in our collaboration with SoftBank emphasize our dedication to advancing telecommunications innovation. These developments are crucial as we continue to empower communications service providers with more efficient and adaptable networks.”

Hideyuki Tsukuda, Executive Vice President and CTO at SoftBank Corp., commented: “This expansion of our joint research into AI-RAN integration represents an essential step toward the next generation of communication infrastructure. SoftBank’s infrastructure will evolve with AI-RAN, positioning us at the forefront of future network deployment.”

Both companies are key members of the AI-RAN Alliance, which was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in 2024. The AI-RAN Alliance is focused on the integration of AI into cellular technology to drive advancements in RAN and mobile networks, paving the way for next-generation communication systems.

ABOUT ERICSSON:
Ericsson’s high-performing networks provide connectivity for billions of people every day. For nearly 150 years, we’ve been pioneers in creating technology for communication. We offer mobile communication and connectivity solutions for service providers and enterprises. Together with our customers and partners, we make the digital world of tomorrow a reality. www.ericsson.com

ABOUT SOFTBANK CORP.
Guided by the SoftBank Group’s corporate philosophy, “Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone,” SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) operates telecommunications and IT businesses in Japan and globally. Building on its strong business foundation, SoftBank Corp. is expanding into non-telecom fields in line with its “Beyond Carrier” growth strategy while further growing its telecom business by harnessing the power of 5G/6G, IoT, Digital Twin and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) solutions, including High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS)-based stratospheric telecommunications. While constructing AI data centers and developing homegrown LLMs specialized for the Japanese language with 1 trillion parameters, SoftBank is integrating AI with radio access networks  (AI-RAN), with the aim of becoming a provider of next-generation social infrastructure. To learn more, please visit https://www.softbank.jp/en/

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SOURCE: ERICSSON