Nokia Debuts Full-Scenario Connectivity Solution at MWC 2026

[Communications Industry Network News] From March 2 to 5, during MWC 2026 in Barcelona, Nokia participated with the core theme of “Building Advanced Connectivity, Win-Win AI Era.” Focusing on performance enhancement, automated operations, and commercial monetization, Nokia showcased over 20 live demonstrations covering mobile networks, fixed networks, and transmission networks. The presentations highlighted network capability upgrades and operational innovations aimed at the “AI super cycle.”

As one of the highlights of the booth, Nokia partnered with NVIDIA and various ecosystem partners to demonstrate interim results of AI-RAN, showcasing evolution solutions for AI-native networks. The exhibition also included technologies supporting AI-ready wireless products, new generation pluggable optical modules, intelligent network evolution paths, and digital factory practices, systematically presenting infrastructure solutions designed for high performance, high reliability, and high security.

Accelerating Network Performance Upgrades, Building an Integrated Computing and Network System for Ultimate Performance

In response to the traffic fluctuations and high concurrency uplink demands driven by the “AI super cycle,” Nokia is upgrading hardware capabilities and reshaping the AI-RAN architecture in the mobile infrastructure sector. This ensures business experience while preparing for continuous network upgrades.

· Superior hardware evolution and green energy efficiency: Nokia launched a new generation of wireless products, including Massive MIMO supporting FDD tri-band and high-power multi-band RRHs. New features like Zero Forcing, Dual Boost, and high-level deep sleep modes further improve spectral efficiency and uplink capacity while pursuing greater energy efficiency and TCO reduction.

· Reshaping AI-RAN architecture for smooth 6G evolution: At the Barcelona exhibition, Nokia, NVIDIA, and ecosystem partners demonstrated a GPU-based universal platform. Under the AnyRAN software, RAN workloads and high-real-time AI applications are orchestrated and deployed on a unified architecture. Using GPUs to host Layer-1 software marks a significant validation of cross-platform RAN software implementation. Additionally, optional GPU-based baseband modules significantly enhance network performance and protect existing AirScale assets, ensuring a smooth transition to 6G AI-native networks.

· Embedding AI capabilities into core network infrastructure: Nokia integrates AI into core network devices and platform designs to increase bandwidth, automate network management, and enhance security, supporting operators in more efficiently handling AI-related services.

· Upgrading fiber optic capabilities: Leveraging the Lightspan platform, Nokia achieves seamless upgrades from 10G to 25G and 50G, boosting broadband access for homes and enterprises. Fiber sensing technology monitors external interference or potential damage in real-time, strengthening physical layer security. Combined with AI automation and quantum security, these fiber broadband solutions improve bandwidth, network stability, and data security.

· AI-oriented IP transport capacity: To meet AI application demands for data security, low latency, and high bandwidth, Nokia introduced an 800GE-supported IP routing solution based on the FP5 chip. It ensures full-speed operation while providing isolated, secure transmission channels for AI inference and edge cloud traffic.

· Supporting high-capacity interconnection of optical networks: Addressing bandwidth growth from AI data centers, Nokia enhances single-wavelength transmission capacity to 1.2T using PSE-6s technology for data center interconnects. This reduces single-bit energy consumption by about 40%, improves network efficiency, and provides foundational support for AI clusters and new services like GPU-as-a-Service.

AI-Enabled Network Operations, Moving Toward L4+ Advanced Self-Intelligent Networks

As operator networks expand and technology generations evolve, multi-vendor coexistence becomes the norm. High-level automation driven by “goal-oriented” approaches is key to reducing operational costs.

· Moving toward L4+: Rebuilding multi-vendor self-intelligent networks. Nokia’s MantaRay SMO creates a unified intelligent orchestration and decision-making framework supporting multiple vendors and systems. Verified in live networks, this framework enables efficient self-intelligence evolution and an open application ecosystem based on rAPP, paving the way for L4+ self-automated networks.

· Data-driven intelligence: Achieving full lifecycle automation of wireless services. Using AI for indoor network planning, digital site twin technology, and generative AI for hardware/software health monitoring, Nokia automates the entire process from planning to operation. This significantly improves planning efficiency and delivery speed, transforming operations from “reactive” to “proactive” assurance.

Innovating Service Models Around AI Application Scenarios, Driving Network Business Toward Experience and Value Transformation

During the deep deployment phase of 5G, industry consensus emphasizes business model innovation. Nokia leverages 5G-A technology, intelligent Agentic AI slicing solutions, and a comprehensive unified automation platform to help operators unlock new growth opportunities.

· 5G-A shifts focus from peak speed to uplink capacity, low latency, and network determinism: Nokia emphasizes uplink enhancement and low latency to support high-realtime services like wearables, XR, and cloud gaming, enabling operators to explore new value streams.

· Experience-oriented intelligent slicing: Combining Agentic AI, enabling real-time orchestration based on business intent. Networks can automatically perceive application needs and dynamically generate differentiated service slices, accelerating the shift toward “experience and value-based billing.”

· Full-domain AIOps automation platform: Nokia launched the industry’s first unified automation and operation platform covering Wi-Fi, PON, IP, optical networks, and data centers. By integrating Agentic AI, it enables cross-domain fault detection and automatic closed-loop handling. This reduces traditional troubleshooting from hours to minutes and offers predictive maintenance and anomaly detection, helping operators lower operational complexity and costs.

Through its focused showcase at MWC 2026, Nokia demonstrated its latest advances and collaborative strategies in mobile and network infrastructure, highlighting technological achievements and practical deployments aligned with the “AI super cycle.” Partnering globally, Nokia continues to advance connectivity capabilities, supporting customers and partners in seizing AI-driven growth opportunities.