Monetizing AI-RAN: Turning Next-Generation Networks into AI-Powered Revenue

AI-RAN is no longer a concept: it is entering real networks. SoftBank is at the forefront of this transition, actively exploring how GPU-accelerated RAN architectures can unlock both operational efficiencies and entirely new monetization models. In this video, leaders from Nokia, SoftBank, and NVIDIA what AI-RAN means for the future of mobile networks and AI-native 6G. 0:00 Intro: why AI-RAN is more than a smarter radio network 1:24 The key questions: who pays, utilization, enterprise demand, economics before 6G 1:51 Meet the panel: Nokia, Nvidia and SoftBank 2:39 What is the first bankable AI-RAN business case? 2:54 Nokia's view: open, programmable RAN, spectral efficiency and the AI grid 5:42 Nvidia's view: AI for consumers, the telecom edge and distributed inference 8:28 SoftBank: why they pioneered AI-RAN and the business case 11:46 Will AI create enough new traffic and revenue? 13:08 Physical AI and the opportunity for operators 15:34 Cost, power and cooling: does AI-RAN make economic sense? 17:38 Hardware options and one software stack (CUDA, low-cost GPUs) 19:29 Using spare GPU capacity for non-RAN AI workloads 24:02 Nokia's commercial AI-RAN launch: what changes for operators 26:14 Monetizing beyond the RAN: enterprise and edge AI services 28:34 How SoftBank got internal buy-in for AI-RAN 32:10 Nvidia's expansion beyond AI factories: the inference wave and token growth 36:20 Where the gains come from: software vs. massive MIMO and spectrum efficiency 38:58 Big picture: sovereignty, monetization and the road to 6G 43:21 AI and 6G: building 5G-ready, 6G-ready networks 45:25 Closing thoughts from each panelist 46:09 Why operators can succeed this time (vs. the cloud era) 49:30 Thanks and sign-off Learn more about AI-RAN: https://www.nokia.com/radio-access/ai-ran/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nokia-for-service-providers Follow us on X: https://x.com/nokianetworks