NVIDIA and SoftBank Forge AI-5G Revolution with World-First Network Integration
1min read NVIDIA and Japan's telecommunications giant SoftBank have announced a collaborative effort to pilot the world's first network integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G capabilities. This innovative network, dubbed the AI Radio Access Network (AI-RAN), represents a significant leap forward in telecommunications technology, capable of handling both AI and 5G workloads. The potential applications of this groundbreaking technology include remote control of autonomous vehicles and managing robotics, thereby showcasing its versatility across various sectors.
SoftBank is among the first recipients of NVIDIA's latest Blackwell chip designs. These chips will be incorporated into SoftBank's cutting-edge AI supercomputers, which aim to enhance the capabilities of generative AI models. The collaboration signifies a strategic move to leverage Japan's significant AI infrastructure, contributing to the nation's Sovereign AI initiatives and harnessing the power of AI to drive new revenue streams in the telecom industry.
During the 2024 AI Summit in Japan, both companies outlined several initiatives designed to strengthen their partnership and accelerate the development of AI infrastructures within Japan. These initiatives will not only enhance NVIDIA's global technological leadership but also provide lucrative opportunities within the telecommunications industry, potentially generating billions in revenue.
SoftBank's application of the NVIDIA AI Aerial platform has successfully demonstrated the integration of AI and 5G in telecommunication networks, creating new opportunities for telcos to convert network capacity into profitable AI services. This development marks a significant milestone in the fusion of AI and communication technologies and is poised to revolutionize sectors such as telecommunications, transportation, robotics, and healthcare.
The partnership further extends to delivering AI computing solutions tailored to Japan's local needs through NVIDIA AI Enterprise software. This innovative approach will support AI training and edge inference, positioning SoftBank as a central figure in Japan's AI grid, which opens up new avenues for creativity, distribution, and usage of AI-driven services across industries.
This strategic alliance between NVIDIA and SoftBank is set to drive a new era of AI-enabled growth, characterized by innovations in telecommunications and beyond. SoftBank President and CEO Junichi Miyakawa emphasized the critical role of AI in societal advancement, highlighting the transformative potential of their collaboration with NVIDIA in accelerating the adoption of distributed AI-RAN solutions, positioning SoftBank at the forefront of 5G network evolution.
