Nokia and Deutsche Telekom Expand Strategic Partnership to Accelerate AI Native and Open RAN Network Development

Nokia and Deutsche Telekom Expand Strategic Partnership to Accelerate AI Native and Open RAN Network Development

(IN BRIEF) Nokia and Deutsche Telekom have expanded their Innovation Cooperation Program to accelerate development of AI-native and Open RAN technologies. The partnership focuses on Cloud RAN, open interfaces, and multivendor network integration to support flexible and programmable mobile networks. The companies will work together on Open Fronthaul integration, vendor-independent network management, and AI-driven RAN capabilities including predictive optimization and adaptive beamforming. Nokia will act as a strategic co-creation partner for AI-native RAN development, with testing planned in laboratory and live network environments. The collaboration aims to support Deutsche Telekom’s Open RAN strategy and advance highly automated, high-performance networks for future connectivity demands.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 2-Mar-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Nokia and Deutsche Telekom have expanded their long-standing partnership to advance the development of AI-native and Open RAN technologies, reinforcing joint efforts to build flexible, cloud-based radio access networks. The strengthened Innovation Cooperation Program will focus on Cloud RAN architectures, open interfaces, and next-generation AI-driven RAN capabilities designed to support high-performance multivendor mobile networks.

The extended collaboration builds on years of joint development aimed at creating open and programmable network architectures. By deepening their cooperation, Nokia and Deutsche Telekom intend to improve network efficiency, enhance programmability, and support long-term operational value for communication service providers through more flexible infrastructure.

A key focus of the partnership is support for Deutsche Telekom’s Open RAN strategy. The companies are expanding their work on Open Fronthaul integration following earlier achievements that successfully connected Nokia baseband systems with third-party O-RAN-compliant radio units in Germany. Further multivendor integration activities involving Open Fronthaul and Cloud RAN technologies are ongoing within advanced development programs. Deutsche Telekom continues to prioritize cloud-based baseband processing, network software disaggregation, and vendor-neutral management frameworks as core elements of its Open RAN roadmap, including the use of a vendor-independent Service Management and Orchestration platform to manage multivendor network environments.

Pallavi Mahajan, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Nokia, said that AI-native RAN technologies represent a major evolution in network architecture and operations. She noted that closer collaboration with Deutsche Telekom will help accelerate the development of open and software-driven mobile networks while supporting greater automation and improved network performance.

The two companies are also progressing work on management capabilities aligned with O-RAN standards, particularly through open O1 interfaces. This includes expanded development in configuration management and related functions that support vendor-independent operations. Integration with Deutsche Telekom’s internally developed SMO platform remains a central element in achieving flexible and scalable network management.

As part of the expanded program, Nokia will serve as a strategic co-creation partner for Deutsche Telekom in the development of AI-native RAN technologies. The joint initiative will focus on introducing intelligent and automated RAN capabilities across radio, cloud, and edge domains.

Development activities will include the creation of AI-based use cases such as advanced receivers, predictive channel estimation, adaptive beamforming, and predictive optimization of network performance. These technologies are expected to improve spectral efficiency, enhance user experience, and support higher levels of automation.

The companies also plan to validate AI-driven technologies through laboratory testing and live network trials, including proof-of-concept work at Deutsche Telekom Labs and in operational environments. These evaluations will measure performance and reliability of AI-enabled RAN functions under real network conditions.

Abdurazak Mudesir, Member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom responsible for Product and Technology, emphasized that AI-native RAN and open interfaces are essential components in the development of programmable and autonomous networks. He highlighted Nokia’s role as a long-term partner in Deutsche Telekom’s Open RAN initiatives and said the expanded cooperation will support multivendor flexibility and improved network performance.

Through the expanded collaboration, Nokia and Deutsche Telekom aim to develop a new generation of programmable, AI-powered mobile networks capable of adapting quickly to changing service demands while improving operational efficiency and supporting future connectivity requirements.

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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SOURCE: Nokia