Full Breakdown
Nokia Pushes Open RAN Forward with Nvidia GPUs, AI-RAN and New “dApp” Interface
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Development: Open RAN Strategy Built on Nvidia GPUs
Nokia announced open-RAN technologies that rely on Nvidia GPUs as the hardware foundation for its AI-RAN vision. Co-developed with Marvell, the custom silicon product will be the last Nokia-produced chip before the company moves entirely to Nvidia-based solutions. The approach uses Nvidia’s CUDA platform and Nokia’s Aerial software stack, allowing developers to create network-level applications (rApps, xApps, and the newly introduced dApps) that run on standard servers at base-station sites.
Background & Context
The O-RAN Alliance standardized a fronthaul interface that separates radios from baseband units, enabling multi-vendor mixes. Nvidia’s Aerial framework runs on CUDA; Nokia has adopted it for testing AI models, positioning GPUs as a general-purpose alternative to traditional custom silicon.
Key Figures & Groups
- Justin Hotard – CEO of Nokia, noted 19 operators beginning “initial deployments” of AI-RAN.
- Pallavi Mahajan – CTO, explained the strategic value of Nvidia GPUs and the new E3 interface.
- Tommi Uitto – Former president of Nokia’s mobile networks business, noted declining interest in xApps.
- Ray Dolan – CEO of Cohere Technologies, partner in trials of Nokia’s universal spectrum multiplier (USM) and dApp development.
- Ericsson – Competing RAN vendor, cautious about dApps and xApps.
Timeline of Recent Milestones
- 2023 – Nokia trialed the O-RAN E2 interface for near-real-time RIC connectivity.
- Late 2025 – Nokia acknowledged limited progress on xApps at a press event in Oulu.
- Summer 2024-2025 – Mahajan discussed Nvidia GPUs in AI-RAN with Light Reading.
- July 2025 – Cohere published a blog describing its dApp version of the USM product.
Data & Statistics
- Global RAN market spending fell from $45 billion in 2022 to $35 billion in 2023 (Omdia).
- Omdia projects rApp revenues to reach “several hundred million dollars” annually by decade’s end.
- Nokia aims to double spectral efficiency by 2028 on existing infrastructure, leveraging Cohere’s USM technology.
Official Statements & Responses
Mahajan said the company will support real-time dApps for tasks such as precise location monitoring and sub-millisecond scheduling, adding that “we’ve taken the whole concept of APIs and decoupling layers in a very serious fashion, and what it now enables us to do is bring in an O-RAN-compliant E3 interface.”
Ericsson responded that “we view dApps as an emerging concept, not a replacement for rApps,” and that it will continue to monitor the technology.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Market forecasts differ on RAN-app revenue potential: Omdia predicts modest rApp earnings, while Nokia’s narrative implies a larger upside from dApps, though no concrete figures are provided.
- The extent of telco investment in GPU-based infrastructure remains unclear; many operators have not publicly committed to replacing existing hardware with Nvidia platforms.
What’s Next
Nokia will expand its dApp ecosystem around the E3 interface, with field trials involving Vodafone, Telstra and Bell Canada. Achieving the 2028 spectral-efficiency target depends on integrating Cohere’s USM technology and broader adoption of GPU-driven AI-RAN solutions. Ericsson and Samsung will continue to monitor dApp developments but have not announced near-term product roadmaps.